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Another “rosary revolution”
Catholic leaders welcome new president
For the second time in 15 years, the people of the Philippines have forced the resignation of a corrupt president, in a dramatic but peaceful revolution heavily influenced by the leaders of the Catholic Church.
In 1986, tens of thousands of Filipinos took to the streets, encouraged by Manila’s Cardinal Jaime Sin, in the “Rosary Revolution” that convinced President Ferdinand Marcos that he could no longer govern the country. And again in January 2001, responding to a call from Cardinal Sin, nearly 2 million citizens assembled at the shrine of Our Lady of Peace in Manila, demonstrating their belief that President Joseph Estrada—who was accused of plundering the national treasury—was no longer fit to govern. Once again the people had their way. Although Estrada was not ready to concede defeat, and refused to submit a formal resignation, he did vacate the presidential palace, and a new leader, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, was sworn in to take his place.
The new leader—whose father, Diosdado Macapagal, had been president from 1961-1965—was present at a thanksgiving Mass on January 22 when Cardinal Sin encouraged her to be “like Christ, who willingly staked everything for the sake of the ones he loved.” The cardinal promised that the Catholic Church would support her leadership, but would also “criticize you, for the good of the nation.”
President Macapagal-Arroyo thanked the prelate for his support, and promised: “When an occasion arises where the leaders and guardians of our spiritual and ethical principles do criticize me, I will listen and will try to do better.” She added her prayer that the country would enjoy “the gift of peace to rebuild our nation, and another chance to revive our economy.”
Archbishop Antonio Franco, the papal nuncio in Manila, said that the second “Rosary Revolution” had been an “exemplary non-violent approach to the crisis” in Filipino politics.