"If the Church plays blind, deaf and dumb to fraud, graft and corruption, to violations of human rights and injustice, to socio-political immorality and demagoguery, such would be a mockery of evangelization, and an insult to love of neighbor, a betrayal of our mission," Cruz said.

Commenting on certain issues especially those that affect the morals of the people is in conduct of their mission to proclaim Gospel truths and promote the love of God and neighbor, Cruz said.

"Love of neighbor means to guide the wealthy and to help the poor, to advise the powerful and to assist the weak, to correct what is wrong and promote what is right, to counter vice and inculcate virtue," he said. "Love of neighbor covers working not only for charity but also for justice, preaching not only for the forgiveness of sinners but also asking their repentance, looking not only for the eternal good of people but also for their temporal welfare here and now."

Love of neighbor, he said, does not only include praising the Lord but also caring for people; not only teaching about piety and devotion but also engaging in social action and reform; not merely arranging novenas and processions but also censuring lies and deceit, searching for truth and working for peace.

"Evangelization is not exactly a sacristy work, neither does it imply a comfortable and serene lifestyle, nor a simply pleasant and pleasing activity. Otherwise the first evangelizer, Jesus Christ, would not have been denounced and tortured, crucified and killed even," Cruz said.

Commenting on the Council of State meeting on Jan. 24, Cruz said such gathering is a mere attempt of the government to cover up the different problems in the country.

"I think this is just another attempt to cover up a good number of problems in the country like poverty, incompetence and the graft and corruption," Cruz said.

Merely convening the nation’s leaders and statesmen in a Council of State meeting cannot solve the said problems, Cruz added.

To his mind, Cruz said he has no objection to the Council of State to meet. The administration, he added, is also free to invite whoever they feel like inviting, church leaders included.

The Council of State meeting is expected to convene the different leaders of the country and statesmen in the hopes of charting the nation’s future and direction.

At present, the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) group has not yet received any invitation for the said meeting as revealed by one of its officials. The El Shaddai group led by Brother Mike Velarde was not available for comment yesterday.