CBCP Urges New Bangsamoro Leaders to Foster an Inclusive Region

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has urged newly elected leaders in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to make the region “a home for everyone” following its first parliamentary elections. The CBCP urged the new leaders to govern for the common good and protect the dignity, rights and religious freedom of all communities. “Let governance protect the dignity, rights, and religious freedom of every person and community,” the CBCP said in a pastoral statement signed by its president, Archbishop Gilbert Garcera. The bishops said the call includes Muslims, Christians, Indigenous Peoples and other communities across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The CBCP congratulated voters and candidates who took part peacefully in the Sept. 14 elections and prayed for those elected to public office. The bishops also acknowledged the region’s history of conflict, displacement, prejudice and injustice, saying those wounds must be recognized and healed. “They need not determine our future,” they said, urging religious and community leaders to deepen dialogue, cooperation and reconciliation. Garcera said the bishops’ recent interreligious dialogue in Cairo strengthened their conviction that peace can grow through justice, charity and mutual respect. The CBCP delegation took part in the program from Aug. 29 to Sept. 7 and cited the Document on Human Fraternity as a reminder of humanity’s shared dignity. The document was signed in 2019 by Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, grand imam of Al-Azhar. The first 80-member Bangsamoro Parliament was proclaimed Sept. 16, marking a transition from appointed regional governance to an elected parliamentary system. “May we walk together as brothers and sisters in building a just and lasting peace,” the CBCP said.