ARTLETS WERE encouraged to pray for the pursuit of justice for the victims of Maguindanao massacre in a commemoration mass held Monday.
“We pray [for the] justice in our society and at the same time, we pray for a love that would heal all the hurts [and] all the inequities that all of us would [continuously] suffer in this world,” said Regent Fr. Rodel Aligan, O.P.
In his homily, Aligan said the commemoration highlighted the injustices that should be addressed by the government.
“Trabaho ng gobyerno na magbigay ng hustisya. Trabaho ng simbahan na hindi lang hustisya ang ipalaganap, kundi pagmamahal,” he said.
Aligan, citing the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas, said, “Justice without charity is cruelty but charity also without justice is no justice at all.”
Yesterday marked the sixth year of the country’s worst case of election-related violence wherein 58 people were killed including the family and supporters of then Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu and 32 journalists.
Out of the 198 people charged, no one has been convicted yet.
On the other hand, the families of the victims remain hopeful that the court would hand down a ruling soon.
The mass, held at the St. Dominic De Guzman Chapel, was led by the UST Journalism Society and AB Pax Romana. F KRYSTAL GAYLE R. DIGAY
