Speaking in a Mass to celebrate the second anniversary of EDSA II yesterday, Sin said lawmakers should listen to what the people are saying, as gleaned from surveys.
"Do not put words into the people’s mouths," he said. "Do not put your selfish plans into the minds of our already suffering countrymen."
In his homily to worshippers, among whom were Pre-sident Arroyo, Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr. and other government officials, Sin said EDSA II was a call for political reforms and a rally against "immoral and self-serving politics," which did not care about the people’s welfare.
"If we are to live out the spirit of EDSA II let us restrict partisan politics and political grandstanding to the election period," he said.
"Away from the election period, let us unite. Election is only a small section about politics. The greater part of politics is service for the common good," Sin said.
He said EDSA II was about "moral leadership by example" as the youth and the children need models to inspire them and icons to imitate.
"Finally, we are here to commit ourselves again to the spirit of EDSA II," he said. "Examples of selfless service to God and country are gravely lacking in our time."
Sin said the nation is in great need of heroes who show the best in the Filipino as celebrities show their best in photo opportunities.
"We lack heroes," he said. "We have plenty of celebrities. Let us choose to be heroes rather than celebrities. The spirit of EDSA beckons us."
Sin said surveys show people are against changing the Constitution so senators and congressmen should stop engaging in that divisive issue.
"We do not need to change the Constitution to give food to the poor, to house the homeless and educate the street children," he said. "What we need is political will and we have a grave lack of it."
Sin said EDSA II was about the poor who should not be neglected because doing so is like ignoring Jesus Christ, the epitome of how a Christian must live.
"There are more people, there are more people jobless, there are more people using criminal ways to feed themselves and their children" he said.
"The mission of allowing the plight of the poor is not only the task of the government. It is the duty of all."
Sin said the people looked up to Mrs. Arroyo as their "leader by example" when she assumed the presidency after the ouster of President Joseph Estrada during EDSA II.
"We need you to show us strong political will to focus on programs for the poor rather than Charter change," he said. "We need you to show us your strong will to focus more on politics for the poor rather than politics for politicians. We need you to show strength of will to reform."
The mission of the Catholic Church is not to oust presidents but that it would stand for what is right and moral, no matter what the cost, Sin added.
Auxiliary Bishop of Manila Socrates Villegas, who celebrated the Mass at the EDSA Shrine, said he was saddened by the divisiveness prevailing in the country.
"We need to remember but at the same time there is some sadness because there is so much disunity in our country," he said. "That’s sad. For an anniversary to be having so much disunity," he said.
He hopes Filipinos would again be united, Villegas added.
Others who attended the Mass were Cabinet secretaries and Cardinal Frederic Bamungwabi of Kinshana in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Meanwhile, Vatican official Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, representative of Pope John Paul II, said yesterday he was satisfied with security preparations for the World Meeting of Families, which starts in Manila tomorrow.
"We are very, very happy because really, this meeting is for all the world, a message of hope," he said.
The international religious conference is expected to draw large numbers of people, including Catholic leaders from around the world.
Security is expected to be a top concern during the World Meeting of Families, which includes large outdoor gatherings and a Catholic Mass at Rizal Park near the US Embassy later in the week.
This is the first time that Asia is hosting the meeting, held every three years.
The pope had originally planned to attend the conference, but the Vatican told Filipino church officials last year that the visit was not possible for an unspecified reason.
Vatican officials have met with Filipino police authorities to discuss security preparations.
A police intelligence official said they have not monitored any specific threat but that the gathering would be tightly guarded to thwart any possible attack. — With AP