Please, Holy Father, help save the Philippine Republic

WELCOME to the Philippines, Holy Father. Some of us here in The Manila Times are Catholics who take our faith seriously. We have you in our prayers every day--not just in the Prayer for the Pope at Mass that is part of the liturgy. We pray for you daily as a person we feel we know personally and should love the way most us Filipinos love our parents. We tell you this intimate detail, hoping to persuade you that we who are writing this editorial now are people with rectitude of intention because we struggle to be always close to God, the Holy Trinity, and to Mother Mary, in thought, emotion and deed. We carry out norms of piety--including frequent examinations of conscience and confession.

We are not addressing this public missive to you for political reasons, dear Holy Father. We are writing because we are being led to this act by our sincere conversation in mental prayer with Our Lord.