The Catholic Church And The Crusade To Free Philippine Political Prisoners During Jubilee 2025

For the Roman Catholic Church's Jubilee year of 2025, Pope Francis asked for a specific focus on helping prisoners.

Francis said in his message "Spes non Confundit (Hope does not despair)" (https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/bulls/documents/20240509_sp…):

"During the Holy Year, we are called to be tangible signs of hope for those of our brothers and sisters who experience hardships of any kind. I think of prisoners who, deprived of their freedom, daily feel the harshness of detention and its restrictions, lack of affection and, in more than a few cases, lack of respect for their persons...

...In every part of the world, believers, and their Pastors in particular, should be one in demanding dignified conditions for those in prison, respect for their human rights and above all the abolition of the death penalty, a provision at odds with Christian faith and one that eliminates all hope of forgiveness and rehabilitation."

In keeping with this spirit, Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, bishop of Kalookan in the Philippines, called for the release of political prisoners in the Philippines.

The bishop added that there must be a law that will compensate prisoners for every year they were imprisoned should they be proven innocent after trial.

According to Karapatan, there are currently 757 political prisoners in the Philippines, including 148 arrested under Marcos Jr., 97 sickly, 103 elderly, and 156 women.

Political prisoners face cramped cells, lack of fresh air, lack of access to sufficient medical care, minimal food and harassment and intimidation from prison guards.

Here are articles that I referenced:

"Spes Non Confundit" by Pope Francis
https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/de/bulls/documents/20240509_sp…

"New cardinal calls for release of political prisoners" by Sinag Joaquin for Bulatlat
https://www.bulatlat.com/2024/12/28/new-cardinal-calls-for-release-of-p…

"Cardinal David: Free political prisoners for Jubilee Year" by Lian Buan for Rappler
https://www.rappler.com/philippines/cardinal-david-mass-political-priso…

"From Shanghai to Filipino prisons the Churches of Asia open the Jubilee" by Asia News
https://www.asianews.it/news-en/From-Shanghai-to-Filipino-prisons-the-C…

"Holiday Appeal for Political Prisoners Support" by the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines
https://ichrp.net/holiday-appeal-for-political-prisoners-support/