Sen. Bam Aquino welcomed the Catholic Church’s initiative to spearhead the call for a stop to killings, saying it’s the first and most important step in achieving much-needed healing to the country.

 “Natutuwa kami na nananawagan na ang Simbahan sa buong taumbayan na makiisa sa pagtigil ng mga patayang nangyayari,” said Sen. Bam after the “Lord Heal Our Land Sunday” Holy Mass at the EDSA Shrine.

“Bilang mga Kristiyano, at bilang Pilipino, sumasang-ayon kami sa panawagan ng Simbahan na itigil na ang patayan at simulan na ang paghilom ng ating bayan,” added Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam was one of the opposition figures who answered the Church’s call for the country’s healing. He also joined the procession to the People Power Monument (PPM) where a prayer for the country’s healing was also conducted.

 In his homily, Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president, Archbishop Socrates Villegas, stressed the need to end extrajudicial killings and fight the festering culture of violence in the country.

 “Stopping the killings is only one big step. The journey of healing for the values of our nation turned upside down will be a long journey still,” Archbishop Villegas said.

 “​Hindi ito ang Pilipinas, at hindi ganito ang Pilipino. Ang inaawit natin ay ​’​ang mamatay nang dahil sa ‘yo’,​ hindi ​’​ang pumatay ng dahil sa ‘yo'”​, he added.

 Thousands of people from different walks of life attended the Holy Mass and joined the procession to the PPM with the image of the Our Lady of Fatima.

 The “Lord Heal Our Land Sunday” ushers in the start of a 33-day period of church activities for the continued healing of the nation, where the CBCP urged Filipinos to pray the Prayer of Saint John Paul II and the Holy Rosary for the country and for the souls of all those killed.

 The 33-day period will end on December 8, in time for the feast of the Immaculate Conception, the patroness of the Philippines.