"In order for more and more our faithful to know the 'ins and outs' of the issue at hand, my priests, in all parishes and religious communities, must intensify the 'information and consultation' activities as paternally and pastorally as I know how, I so order," Vidal said in a statement released by the Lungsuranon.
Vidal strengthened his campaign against the proposals to divide the province following a plea from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippine for its members to take part in political issues presently sweeping the country.
"We urge our people in our parish and religious communities, our religious organizations and movements, our Basic Ecclesial Communities to come and pray together, reason, decide and act together always to the end that the Will of God prevail in the political order," stated the CBCP Plea for Moral Values in Philippine Politics.
On August 23, the cardinal called on the auxiliary diocesan commission to "confer and confirm with them the results of the initial survey" on the proposals to create the new provinces which he commissioned. The Cebu archdiocese has 138 parishes under its wing.
"After having come and prayed together, reasoned, decided, and acted together, my conviction has been confirmed, first of all, that, as the survey has so far shown, the greater majority of the Cebuanos is clearly against the Split-Cebu proposals," Vidal said.
Vidal has also manifested that the hearing of the three House bills seeking to create the new provinces "should be held in Cebu." - Liv G. Campo