MANILA, Jan. 22, 2015 – Bacolod Bishop Vicente M. Navarra said he has been receiving words of congratulations since the Supreme Court (SC) ruled in favor of his Team Buhay, Team Patay campaign last May 2013 elections.
It will be recalled the Diocese of Bacolod was ordered by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to remove tarpaulins with names of senatorial candidates and the party list groups classified into “Team Patay” and “Team Buhay” which can be literally translated into “anti-life” and “pro-life”. The local church brought the matter to the High Court.
Bacolod Bishop Vicente M. Navarra (Photo: CBCPNews)
Clear conscience
In an interview during a break from the CBCP Plenary Session, Navarra, now 76 years old, said from the very start, he believed the Church was on the winning side.
“My conscience is clear that what we did is only to conscienticize our faithful in Bacolod and the well-intentioned voters regarding their moral civic consciousness regarding the decision to select candidates to uphold the rights of the unborn, against abortion and contraceptives,” he said.
He added there is still a need to catechize the people.
Good for catechesis
The bishop said the tarpaulins are still hanging outside the cathedral until to today.
He explained that with the Supreme Court decision, he will still keep the tarps where they are as long as he remains bishop.
Asked why he’ll keep them there, he said “it’s good for catechesis”.
He expressed his thanks to his lawyer Atty. Ralph Sarmiento and everyone who helped them with their cause.
Navarra said he is extremely grateful to the justices who took part in the deliberations and eventual decision which upheld the rights of the unborn. (Melo M. Acuña/CBCPNews)
