PRESS RELEASE

Conscience Calls,
 Actions Personal and Communal
CEAP Position on Various Positions of the Day
February 29, 2008

Two weeks ago, on Valentine’s Day, we released our statement on the events of our time: Speaking Truth, Seeking Justice, Setting Things Right.
We said that we must pray, heed what our conscience tells us, act with the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and all other men and women of good will, seek to discover the educative moment in the happenings of the day, fight corruption in ourselves and others, work to set things right – as we see things, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, following Jesus the Way, the Truth, and the Life, seeking to dispel darkness by our light, melting hatred by our love.
We  still stand now by what we said then.

Last year, in our National Convention, we met under the theme Beyond Borders, Within Worlds: Catholic Schools and Corporate Social Responsibility.  We learned and decided that while we live within the world of Catholic Education, there are times when we need to go beyond the borders that separate us -- one school from another, one sector in society from the next -- when the love of God urges us to do so.  We are educational institutions, whose primary task is education, taking care of those who come to us to learn.  But we are, as Christians and Catholics, part of the Body of Christ -- Corpus Christi.  From that conviction flows our Corporate Social Responsibility, a prominent feature of which is engaged citizenship.  We reach out to those who cannot come to us.  We help to shape our nation.
We live now what we learned then.

Comes the call for specific actions that flow from our conviction.  What are and should be those acts?  As varied as we are as persons, as scattered as we are in places, though united as an association, allowance would have to be made for particular moves flowing from our individual and communal reading of the times and our response to what our conscience prompts.

Thus, in relation to the inter-faith rallies scheduled in different parts of the country today, February 29, 2008, some of us would prefer to kneel down to pray, others to sit down and study and reflect, and still others to stand up and walk with those who want to  show and pray publicly that we shall not tolerate corruption in our lives, in our government, in our nation. 

We shall respect whatever action each one takes in response to the individual and communal call of conscience.  Those in our member schools ready to march to decry corruption have the respect and support of our CEAP National Board of Directors. Those who choose to pray and reflect in quiet  have the same.
           
May we only ensure that all of our students whom we invite to join whatever rally know the issues involved and have their parents’ consent where needed and expected.  May we only remind ourselves that whatever action we take for ourselves, we continue to respect whatever other move our fellow member has chosen to make.  Thus we maintain unity in our diversity, uphold the truth that though we are many members, we are one as CEAP, as Body of Christ.