1. In the past we wrote to you about the condition of the economy, politics, and culture of our cou

1. In the past we wrote to you about the condition of the economy, politics, and culture of our country. With bright, with dark aspects of attention were given our history and current status as a town. All this has shown and extending about us as believers and citizens, to us as a people given the uniquely Catholic in Asia. Based on the described economic conditions, political, and cultural, Are we proud that we are a nation of "Christians"? May unacceptable difference the Christian faith in the course of history and the shaping of Philippine society? What masusulyap within ourselves, as a people, based on the trend and condition of our society? Who are we, and what kind of improvement path-pakatao and the sanctification we follow?
2. In the new pastoral letter, in response to the call of Pope John Paul II that the Church of Santa prepare his journey towards the third millennium, we'd like to invite you, beloved brothers and sisters in faith to focus on path of sanctification our time as Filipino Catholics. traktor Where we started, traktor where we are now, where we are going? Where, how, and when we met in our history the Lord Jesus Christ? What difference has caused and caused to us encounter it?
3. Along the Christ we encountered, we will try to illustrate again the past and give it a new meaning. In the midst of the darkness we traveled, traktor let him again inflame our hearts. Let us introduce a general he recovered himself, his purpose, his path.
4. In reality, though, for us also this letter, if dahil- path of sanctification is concerned, where do we start but with our Electoral experiences and observations about this also? Therefore also be able to evaluate, analyze and criticize ourselves as a group of bishops, in our relation to the Christian communities entrusted to us by Shepherd of the shepherds, the Lord Jesus Christ. Not just once or twice that we asked about our own past, if we ever say as shepherds that we celebrated our sheep how well known they followed us and our voice? Or maybe so, lurking in our consciousness, the voice of a happy foreigners flock and the herd had been cut off from the US? You, fellow believers, its decoding tell you this letter. And since we seek to talk heart-to-heart, we also displeased, the first time to write it in a language that is not foreign to you, we have received language as the national language, especially on the occasion of th hundred years of our being a free country.
5. While it is true that many of our bishops are adults who, rarely glad when someone said "elder" to him. Who do you want to be called "adult" if it correlates with white or loss of hair, being sickly, irritable, senile and useless? Sweeter believe in the ears to be told "you must go and Child," because it correlates with being strong, vibrant and useful.
6. Sayang traktor naman if we patatangay well as concentrating on this type of thinking. Gradually, this is the dominant mentality of the society soaked traktor in capitalism and consumerism. Capital also looks at childhood, useful yet in production. Burden the elderly, burdensome, useless in the making. That is the main production base of being "served". It's not Filipino, much less Christian.
7. In fact, the opposite of a senile, forgetful and useless the root meaning of the word "elder". Note the Ma- not easily forget, matandain. Above all, great read and understand the signs were shovel life, because more rich experience. In folk culture, not the adults, but children less than easy to forget the experience. Therefore values of us seniors. Respected, listened to, have important role in society. With the passage of time, not just elders call them. They themselves considered when Token (eg. Rooster Pasyo, Tandang Sora), teaches life map to fix a steady path traveled.
8. Why, if this is still the sense of us "mature" would be honored to be called desire has so sign! In fact it's not far off the ancient interpretation of the words of Scripture presbyteroi. Owing perhaps the influence of Jewish culture, also called "elders" of St. Paul the curator of ancient Christian patterned mire. Him