Archbishop Socrates, may message sa kabataan ngayong 39th anniversary ng EDSA Revolution

Nagbigay ng mensahe si Archbishop Socrates Villegas sa mga estudyante ng Catholic schools sa Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan kaugnay ng paggunita sa 39th anniversary ng EDSA People Power Revolution ngayong Martes, February 25.

Sa report ng CBCP News, ibinahagi ng arsobispo ang kanyang personal na karanasan sa ilalim ng diktadurya ni Ferdinand Marcos Sr. at ang mahalagang papel ng mamamayan sa makasaysayang pag-aaklas noong 1986.

Inilarawan niya ang talamak na katiwalian at lantarang paglabag sa karapatang pantao noong panahon ng batas militar, partikular na ang pagpapatahimik sa mga tumututol sa gobyerno.

“Father Soc loves you. I will not lie to you. I will not mislead you. I was there. I saw the corruption and torture and killing and illegal arrests. That is what really happened,” ani Archbishop Villegas.

Ibinahagi rin ni Villegas ang kanyang pakikiisa sa mapayapang pagkilos ng mga Pilipino noong February 1986 upang wakasan ang rehimeng Marcos.

“We, your grandparents, stood for four days at EDSA in Quezon City between Camp Aguinaldo and Camp Crame. We prayed the rosary, gave food to the soldiers who were dispatched to disperse us. We sang Bayan Ko and slept on the street. On February 25, 1986 the dictator and thief Ferdinand Marcos fled to Hawaii in exile. We ousted the dictator without violence and bloodshed,” saad ng arsobispo.

Binigyang-diin din niya na ang EDSA People Power ay isang tagumpay na pananampalataya ng mga Katoliko na naghahangad ng hustisya, katotohanan, at malinis at tapat na pamamahala.  

“The whole world admired us Filipinos then. It was a moment of glory. The Filipino greatness was hailed by the world. It was faith seeking justice. It was faith making peace,” ayon kay Villegas.

Sa huli, hinimok ni Archbishop Villegas ang mga kabataan na patuloy na gunitain at ipagbunyi ang EDSA Revolution bilang tagumpay ng sambayanang Pilipino. 

“EDSA People Power was the answer of our God loving people to evil men and evil deeds. We must celebrate. This day is the holiday of nameless millions of Filipino heroes of 1986. Do not forget,” pagtatapos niya.

Si Archbishop Socrates “Soc” B. Villegas ay kasalukuyang Metropolitan Archbishop ng Lingayen-Dagupan mula nang siya ay italaga ni Pope Benedict XVI noong September 8, 2009. Naging pangulo rin siya ng Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) mula 2013 hanggang 2017. #