In a spontaneous flash mob fashion, the Ateneans, La Salleans, and several from other Catholic campuses came in throng with the UP students and some youth groups condemning the move as deceptive, divisive, and even an insult to Filipino sense of history and justice.
"Marcos hindi bayani!... Busina para sa hustisya!....Hustisya sa mga biktima ng Martial law!" Of course, there were some nasty words which I prefer not to pronounce here myself.
There are those who want it appear that the controversy is a mere political discord involving the Marcoses, Aquinos and the Duterte camp. The clergy and Catholic faithful among the protesters and those raising their voices of discontent are being chided by Marcos loyalists and Duterte supporters as being "unforgiving. Unchristian and no mercy to a dead man," they lament. "Move on na lang," they insist. But protests continue. So is the word war in social and mass media.
Oh my, I took a deep, deep breath. Pondered about forgiving and mercy.
Incidentally, this 27th November 2016 marks the first Sunday of Advent in our liturgical calendar. It reminds me of Dives in Misericordia (Rich in Mercy), the second encyclical written by St. Pope John Paul II, also on the first Sunday of Advent, 30th Nov 1980.
The encyclical is about mercy--and forgiving. It is a modern examination of the role of mercy—both God's divine mercy, and also the need for human mercy. thence contemplating on the biblical parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) as a central theme.
In #14 of the encyclical, St. JPII points out:
"...Society can become "ever more human" only when we introduce into all the mutual relationships which form its moral aspect the moment of forgiveness, which is so much of the essence of the Gospel...
"....Christ emphasizes so insistently the need to forgive others that when Peter asked Him how many times he should forgive his neighbor He answered with the symbolic number of "seventy times seven" (Mat 18:22) meaning that he must be able to forgive everyone every time. It is obvious that such a generous requirement of forgiveness does not cancel out the objective requirements of justice. Properly understood, justice constitutes, so to speak, the goal of forgiveness. In no passage of the Gospel message does forgiveness, or mercy as its source, mean indulgence towards evil, towards scandals, towards injury or insult. In any case, reparation for evil and scandal, compensation for injury, and satisfaction for insult are conditions for forgiveness."
Do you honestly believe that granting Marcos a hero's burial would serve the end of justice?