THE Catholic Church in the Philippines is set to have a more active role in educating the voters how to choose their candidates in the forthcoming May 9 elections.In a press conference, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Bishop Pablo David said they want to be more involved in forming the mindset of the people in choosing the right candidates.”Now, we are proactively — let me insist on that — encouraging the rest of the Church to get more involved in empowering the voters to choose the right candidates through collective discernment and consensus building that will hopefully lead to supporting or helping particular candidates to win,” said David.”We are spiritual and moral leaders, but we are also citizens of this country. And, as members of the Church, we must be proactively involved in the political life of the society as citizens,” he added.At the same time, he said, they would ask everyone to have a more serious and deeper discernment on who they should vote for.He stressed that choosing candidates to vote for should come from following their conscience and being guided by the truth, and not by disinformation.”In view of the coming elections, we call on you, Brothers and Sisters — especially the youth, to examine carefully what is happening in our quest for a true and just society. Engage in dialogue and discernment. Listen to your conscience. Be the ones to decide,” said the CBCP in its Pastoral Letter released Friday, February 25.”We trust in your capacity to discern what is true and good. We all seek the common good. And, in the light of the Gospel of Jesus, let us follow the path of truth, goodness, justice, and peace — not the path of violence, vengeance or evil,” it added.Asked how pro-active will clergymen be in the coming elections, the bishop said it will be up to the priests and bishops, but noted of limitations of using the pulpit.”We don’t want the pulpit to be used in campaigning. We have to be more respectful. There are other venues for expressing ones political opinion. At the same time, the pulpit can be used in proclaiming the Good News. When you preach Good News, it has implications in our political lives. We cannot separate faith and our societal life,” said David.The Kalookan prelate also said they do not see the clergy taking on a more active role in politics as being a violation of the principle of separation of Church and State.”All the members of the Church are also citizens of this country and they have the civic duty to proactively participate in nation building. Part of nation building is participation in coming up with politics, which favor the common good,” explained David.He also stressed that the Church has no intention to take over the role of the government as perceived by some sectors.”We will not establish a government. We are not the Taliban. There are some countries, where religious leaders become the government. We will never do that because that is religious fanaticism. We will stick to our role as spiritual and moral leaders, but we will proactively participate in the political life,” assured David.The CBCP statement regarding the coming elections came nearly a month after its 123rd Plenary Assembly. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)