“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
Since October 5, the Catholic Church has begun praying the Oratio Imperata for Integrity, Truth, and Justice, as mandated by Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula, in response to the flood control corruption scandal. This rare liturgical act replaces the usual Prayer of the Faithful during Mass, a practice reserved only for the gravest of circumstances, underscoring the urgency and seriousness of the nation’s moral crisis.
Cardinal Advincula warns that corruption has become “more and more appalling,” inflicting deep wounds on institutions, the people, and the very fabric of moral and social life. “The evil of corruption,” he writes, “is not merely a political or economic problem; it is a profound moral and spiritual crisis.”
This call to conscience follows the massive anti-corruption rallies held on September 21. What began as a single protest has evolved into weekly student-led demonstrations on school campuses, demanding accountability and swift resolution of exposed anomalies in flood control projects.
A follow up to the successful Sept. 21 peaceful assembly is now being planned nationwide. On November 30, Bonifacio Day, a massive protest and prayer rally is set to pressure once again the Marcos administration to confront the corruption crisis that has eroded public trust and stained national institutions. Organizers describe it as both civic demonstration and spiritual invocation, a convergence of voices demanding accountability, transparency, and moral leadership. The choice of Bonifacio Day is deliberate, a nod to a revolutionary who fought not only for independence but for dignity.
The Catholic Church, once quiet in the years following the passing of the outspoken Jaime Cardinal Sin, has reemerged as a moral force. Perhaps, it sees in this moment a threshold too grave to ignore. Like Jesus Christ confronting injustice in His time, the Church now speaks boldly, not with political slogans but with prophetic urgency. The Oratio Imperata is its chosen voice, a communal prayer for national healing.
Traditionally reserved for times of grave crisis, the Oratio Imperata is a mandated prayer recited across all parishes, replacing standard liturgical petitions. What makes this latest version striking is its focus not just on officials, but on the people themselves. “In our silence, in our compromises, and in our indifference,” the prayer reads, “we have allowed corruption to grow and falsehood to spread.”
Church bells now ring nightly at 8:00 PM as a sonic protest and at the same time, a call to contrition. The faithful are asked not only to pray, but to reflect on their own complicity. Once again, the Church reminds us that integrity is not inherited but chosen. And it must be chosen again, in every act, every vote, every silence broken.
This convergence of civic protest and spiritual invocation is no coincidence. It is a shared cry for a country that has endured too much betrayal. The Oratio Imperata is not just a liturgical act but a national plea. And if we are to honor it, we must respond not only with words, but with lives that reflect the integrity we now dare to pray for.
Sharing the prayer with you in full:
Heavenly Father,
You led Your people out of slavery as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
In this time when shadows of deceit and corruption cloud our land, shine upon us Your light that scatters all darkness.
We confess that we ourselves have often walked in darkness.
In our silence, in our compromises, and in our indifference, we have allowed corruption to grow and falsehood to spread.
Forgive us, Lord, and cleanse our hearts of this grave moral evil that robs the poor of bread and the nation of hope.
Give us leaders after the Heart of your Son: shepherds who serve, not wolves who devour.
By the power of your Holy Spirit,
Give us the courage to reject lies, expose deceit, uphold justice and defend the truth, in all our dealings-whether public or private-that integrity may flourish in our land like a river and righteousness like a mighty stream.
O God of justice and mercy,
Make our nation a vineyard that bears good fruit-not poisoned by greed, manipulation and selfishness, but nourished by honesty, compassion, and love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Mary Mirror of Justice, St. Michael the Archangel, pray for us.
St. Lorenzo Ruiz and St. Pedro Calungsod, pray for us.
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