A Catholic bishop has urged finance officers to review the Church’s investments, warning that it must not fund or profit from industries that harm people or the planet.
“We cannot preach justice on Sunday while profiting from injustice on Monday,” said Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, president of Caritas Philippines.
He emphasized that Church investments must reflect Christian values — or risk undermining its moral credibility.
“Our finances are not just tools — they are moral acts,” Bagaforo said. “They either support human dignity and the common good, or they fuel destruction and inequality.”
The bishop made the remarks during his homily at a Mass for the 24th Archdiocesan Financial Administrators of the Philippines Convention on June 19.
The CBCP’s 2019 and 2022 pastoral statements urged all Catholic institutions — from dioceses to schools and congregations — to divest from extractive industries such as coal, fossil fuels, destructive mining, and unsustainable logging.
“This is not just a financial shift, but a moral imperative,” he stressed. “The true wealth of the Church lies not in its assets, but in its witness to the Gospel — especially in the face of suffering, injustice, and ecological collapse.”
However, Bagaforo clarified that the call is not for an abrupt break with local banks or institutions, but to engage them in dialogue and encourage a shift toward ethical and sustainable portfolios.
“Divestment is not merely about withdrawal — it is about prophetic realignment,” Bagaforo said. “It is about choosing investments that uplift life, not destroy it.”
He cited real-world consequences of unethical investments, including the displacement of Indigenous communities in the Sierra Madre, poisoned coastal waters affecting fisherfolk in Manila, and mining-related land loss in Mindanao.
“How can we serve the poor while profiting from systems that displace them from their lands, poison their waters, and erode their future?” he asked. “Every peso we invest must serve the Kingdom of God.”
Addressing finance officers directly, Bagaforo said their roles go beyond administration and accounting.
“You are caretakers of hope, builders of justice, instruments of integrity,” he said. “This is the moment when your ministry becomes a mission.”
He acknowledged the financial pressures many dioceses face — from running schools and seminaries to supporting social programs — but urged participants to consider the true cost of financial returns.
“Are the returns from investments in dirty and unethical industries worth more than the lives, livelihoods, and dignity of the smallest of our brethren — the very ones Christ entrusted us to serve?” the prelate added.
Bagaforo concluded with a charge to the Church’s financial stewards: “Let us ensure that every peso invested by the Church becomes a seed for the Kingdom of God — a seed that brings life, dignity and healing to those who need it most.”
