Church's responsibility in rural development

Abstract

Rev. C. C. Ganchorre teached Genetic Psychology and Psychology of Adolescence at Central Philippine University. He was an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ. He obtained his A.B., major in English at Silliman University, and his Bachelor in Divinity at the Union Theological Seminary in Manila. He obtained his M.A. in Theology at Francisco Theological Seminary in U.S.A.

Recent events have clearly shown that in our struggle to face squarely our very serious economic situation the church and state should combine their resources to explore ways and means to effectively solve the gnawing problem. The World Council of Churches, the Protestant Christian expression of the ecumenical movement, sponsored last July a World Conference on Church and Society in Geneva, Switzerland. To express the urgency of the task of the conference, M. M. Thomas of India, chairman of the planning committee, said: “The church has to rethink its own understanding of the material and human realities of the contemporary world, and define afresh its own responsibility in relation to them."

In this speech before the Manila Rotary Club Monsignor Luigi G. Ligutti, papal delegate to the National Congress for Rural Development, emphasized the need for unity of all sectors of society in solving widespread rural poverty brought about by “inefficient use of both natural and human resources."