CBCP to release mandatory prayer for peace amid WPS tensions

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) will release an Oratio Imperata, a mandatory prayer for peace, to be recited in churches amidst rising tensions in the West Philippine Sea.

This special prayer for peace will be recited from July 25 until January 1, 2025.

CBCP President Bishop Pablo Virgilio David stated that the CBCP opts to issue a prayer rather than take a political stance as spiritual and moral leaders.

The prayer aims to ease the tension experienced by Filipinos due to the geopolitical situation, as the CBCP does not wish to exacerbate the situation, emphasizing that nobody desires war.

The CBCP shares the Vatican's position, with its top diplomat Archbishop Paul Gallagher, calling for a peaceful resolution of the territorial dispute.

Bishop David mentioned that the Vatican recognizes the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and is sympathetic with the Philippines' rights as laid out in the UNCLOS.

Government officials have condemned the Chinese Coast Guard's continued harassment of Filipino fishermen and Philippine vessels in the country's exclusive economic zone.