Church official saddened over cancellation of dialogue with Aquino on human rights

Church official saddened over cancellation of dialogue with Aquino on human rights

“Somebody needs to speak about the human right situation — the disappearances, the detention of political prisoners, the tortures and the over all lack of legal security Filipinos face. This is a big challenge for the Philippines, and these need to be addressed.”
By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO
Bulatlat.com

MANILA — The general secretary of the World Council of Churches Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit expressed disappointment over President Benigno Aquino III’s seeming lack of interest to discuss issues pertaining to the human rights situation in the Philippines. The WCC is the biggest protestant organization in the world, with a worldwide fellowship of 349 churches representing 560 million Christian members coming from various Christian traditions including the Lutheran, Methodist, Baptists, Reformed churches, Anglicans, Orthodox and Pentecostal Churches. It is considered to be on equal footing with the Roman Catholic religious authorities in the Vatican.

Tveit was in Manila from March 22 to 24 to attend the pre-assembly of the WCC Commission for World Mission and Evangelism (WCC-CWME), which began March 22 and continues until March 27.

(Photo courtesy of World Council of Churches / bulatlat.com)

Tveit was scheduled to meet with Aquino in Malacañang around noon last Friday, but, according to the National Council of Churches of the Philippines (NCCP), which handled Tveit’s schedule, Malacañang suddenly cancelled the meeting when it was told that the church leader was interested in discussing the Philippine human rights situation. The NCCP and its member churches belong to the WCC fellowship.

An issue of legality and morality 

In an interview with Bulatlat.com, Tveit said he could not help but be “disappointed because it would have been a tremendous opportunity for the president and us to talk about matters that are highly important to the Church and the Filipino people.

“There a lot of a people who need the attention of both the Church and the government. Somebody needs to speak about the human right situation — the disappearances, the detention of political prisoners, the tortures and the over all lack of legal security Filipinos face. This is a big challenge for the Philippines, and these need to be addressed. When the well-being of the people suffer, when their human rights are not cared for, then the Church’s fellowship also suffers. Anyone can be a victim of human rights violations,” Tveit said..... MORE

Source:  Bulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2012/03/26/church-official-saddened-over-cancellation-of-dialogue-with-aquino-on-human-rights/