Pastoral Letter of Bishop Bernardino C. Cortez of the Prelature of Infanta
4 August 2019
ST. JOHN MARIE VIANNEY
Dear Brother Archbishops, Bishops and Administrators:
Greetings of Peace!
Come September until October 4, 2019 we will celebrate the Season of Creation. This is the time to promote and expound our Pastoral Letter – “An Urgent Call for Ecological Conversion, Hope in the Face of Climate Change.”
In spirit of solidarity for “our common home” (Pope Francis) and in this regard, may we present to you our appeal and campaign: NO TO KALIWA DAM! We ask you, your ecology ministry, earth ministry desk to support us in our 10 Million Signature Campaign – No to Kaliwa Dam,
Please seriously consider our appeal as expressed by the letter that follows:
August 1, 2019
Your Excellences: Archbishops and Bishops: Maka-Kalikasang Pagbati – Laudato Si!
We would like to thank you for the Pastoral Letter “An Urgent Call for Ecological Conversion, Hope in the Face of Climate Emergency.” You have encouraged us “to discern the issues and actively care for the Earth.”
In connection with the Kaliwa Dam, we thank the 55 Bishops who were present at the CBCP July 2019 meeting and have supported our campaign. The struggle is far from over. STOP Kaliwa Dam Network in Manila and the ALMA Dam Network in Quezon and Rizal have now launched the 10 Million Signature Campaign and we are asking for your help.
Infanta parish scheduled the campaign at the anticipated mass and all the Sunday masses last July 7, 2019. The presider included the dam in his sermon and after Communion people were encouraged to sign or bring a copy of the Signature Form to their homes so that other members of the family and neighbours may sign, too. The Forms were returned the next Sunday. (The attached 4-minute video regarding Kaliwa Dam can also be integrated into the homily or played after the Communion when the content of the Signature Form would be read). May our schools also support the campaign.
Please find the following attachments in this email:
1. Pastoral Letter on the Kaliwa Dam from the Prelature of Infanta
2. 10-Million Signature Form in English and FIlipino (Kindly print through Rizo. This costs not more than P300 per ream),
3. 4-Minute Video by the Stop Kaliwa Dam Network
We suggest that the Ecology Ministry of the parish or parish organizations are mobilized to download, print and collect the Signature Form them after the signing. These may be sent directly to Save Sierra Madre Network Alliance, Inc. <savesierram@gmail.com>.
Should this 10 Million Signature be successful, there is no reason why we could not repeat strategy for other issues faced by the dioceses.
Maraming Salamat Po.
For the Save Sierra Madre Network Alliance and Urgent Initiative:
Fr. Pete Montallana
Thank you very much for your continued praternal support to this humble advocacy. In omnibus caritas.
