Promote culture of life

We, of the Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit [also referred to as the Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters] express our grave concern over the culture of impunity that has brought about the more than 7,000 recorded killings related to the so-called “drug war.”

While we recognize the importance of stopping the traffic and consumption of illegal drugs, we, religious missionaries, committed to LIFE, are deeply saddened by the antidrug campaign’s consequences which have directly affected the lives of thousands of families living in poverty.

We join the countless others who strongly oppose the attempt to reimpose the death penalty and lower the age of criminality. We are in communion with our bishops and fully support the stand of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, which was expressed in the pastoral letter issued on Jan. 30, 2017. We reiterate the Church’s teaching that “the life of every person comes from God. It is he who gives it and it is he alone who can take it back. Not even the government has a right to kill life because it is only God’s steward and not the owner of life.”

We also affirm what Pope Francis said on the 25th World Day of the Sick 2017: “May we find new incentive to work for the growth of a culture of respect for life, health, and the environment. . . inspire renewed efforts to defend the integrity and dignity of persons and the protection of the vulnerable.”

We resolve that in our missionary presence among our people, we will continue to help them recognize and appreciate the value of life and break out from the culture of indifference. Let us join hands and hearts to strengthen our unity in this effort to promote the culture of LIFE, PEACE, MERCY and HOPE.

Let us call on the Life-giving Spirit to empower us as a people to grow in this determination.

51 SIGNATORIES, The Missionary Sisters Servants of The Holy Spirit (SSpS)