June 22, 2018
A Pastoral Letter to Our BCBP Community Brothers and Sisters:
This Pastoral Letter has been written by the leadership of the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals to provide pastoral guidance to our community.
We are deeply concerned about recent pronouncements made by no less than the president of the country against God, the Bible and our catholic faith.
Threats and insults have also been directed against members of the clergy and the Church which have been attributed to the stand taken by our bishops and priests against our government’s acts especially on extrajudicial killings.
We strongly believe these should not be allowed to pass without our community taking a stand for our Lord Jesus Christ and for the Catholic Church to which we belong.
The pronouncements against God, the Catholic Church and our church leaders should be viewed from the following perspectives:
Firstly, as Filipino citizens, we should be gravely concerned that our rights to free speech, the exercise of our faith and the right to live under the rule of law and a regime of truth, justice, freedom, love, equality, and peace as enshrined in our Constitution and the Bill of rights are being violated and threatened by the government and by the leaders who are mandated to defend and uphold such rights.
Secondly, as Catholics we have to stand up for the Lord and for the faith that we profess, specifically in addressing the half-truths, inaccuracies, and patently false accusations about the catholic faith and the Church as an organization. As stated in 2 Tim1:7 “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control”.
Finally, as members of the BCBP, we need to be guided by our commitment to “community and nation building, the practice of justice and integrity, and responsible care for all entrusted to us.”
Our community position against the persecution in our midst extends beyond just our catholic faithful. It is a stand for all Filipinos, regardless of religious, social or political affiliation.
That said, as Filipinos, catholic Christians and BCBP members, how should we respond in the light of all these attacks against our faith and our Church?
1. PRAYERS. Our primary recourse is to PRAY unceasingly to God for our leaders whether they be in government, socio-civic groups or religious communities. 
Let us ask the Lord to send forth His Holy Spirit to renew our country and people.
Let us pray for courage, perseverance and wisdom in dealing with these grave issues.
As we pray, we also ask the Lord to show us what we as individuals can do to promote justice, peace, respect for others and their beliefs, truthfulness in thought, word and deed in our homes, workplaces, and communities.
2. VIGILANCE. Let us remain vigilant and be informed with what is happening in our neighborhoods, cities and country especially as it relates to decisions and actions that our leaders in government, civil society, and the Church make. 
We should actively engage our public servants, our congressmen and senators, so that they will enact laws that will strengthen and affirm, rather than disregard or even violate, our Constitution.
3. DISCERNMENT. Regardless of our political affiliations, let us take an objective, discerning view of socio- political acts and pronouncements in the light of our Catholic faith and social teachings so that we can make choices that are aligned with the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ.
4. BOLDNESS. When we encounter statements or pronouncements in our social media feeds about God and our faith that are false, blasphemous, disrespectful, let us be bold for the Lord by either providing the correction to the statement or by being a personal witness of God’s goodness in your life. This should be done in the spirit of Matthew 5:38-42. Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said, 
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. 
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. 
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one to him as well…”
For example to the statement “yang God ng Katoliko torpe” you might reply in this manner: 
“Our God teaches us not to kill or harm, but to forgive and turn the other cheek. But by my own experience, God is my fortress, my stronghold and deliverer and He is my Savior. He is not weak or a coward, He is strong and faithful”.
If you are in a forum or meeting wherein someone makes statements or pronouncements or jokes against God or our faith, make a stand by not joining in the applause/laughter, or by walking out.
5. ASSERTIVENESS. Use social media responsibly to uphold truth, justice, and life. Your voice and your stand are needed by the Church to combat lies, injustice, and the culture of death and impunity.
6. LEADER SELECTION. As citizens, we stand for what we believe in by choosing wisely those whom we elect into office. 
Senators, Congressmen, and even our local officials have the authority and power not only to make laws and ordinances, but even to change our Constitution.
Let us be discerning and use the “GabayKristo“ to vet public servants on the basis of their love of God, love of family, love of country, and genuine desire to devote honest, competent public service.
Brothers and Sisters in the BCBP, these are times that call for true discipleship. Let us stand with and for our Lord Jesus Christ!
For the BCBP Community
We are men and women of Jesus Christ
We’ve come to serve the Lord
In the strength of God.
Come, servants of the Lord
Come and take your stand.
