BY GERARD NAVAL

BISHOPS are gathering today for a special consultative meeting called by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines.

The meeting at the Pope Pius XII Catholic Center in Manila was called by Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, CBCP president, in a bid to harmonize the stand of individual bishops regarding the worsening political crisis, according to Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez.

A Church source said that the first time such a special meeting took place was in the days leading to the first "people power revolution" in 1986 that ended the Marcos regime.

"(Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal) Vidal called for (that) same meeting. Eto yung naglabas ng pastoral statement na ‘People have Spoken.’ I think it called for civil disobedience… tapos sinabi na Marcos has lost moral basis to govern," said the source who requested anonymity.

The loss of moral authority to govern is the reason being used by civil society, militant, political and other sectoral groups calling for President Arroyo’s ouster.

Iñiguez, head of the CBCP’s public affairs committee, said the call for a special meeting indicates the Catholic Church is alarmed over the recent developments in the country.

"This is pointing to looking at the situation as something that is serious or developing into something serious. Madalas din kasi nadidinig natin, `Ano ba ang sinasabi ng mga bishops?’ Maraming comments on the bishops, so, perhaps, that’s also one of the reasons para magkaroon ng kaliwanagan din among ourselves (on our common stand)," he said.

The source said the call of Lagdameo for a meeting began last week but was finalized only last Sunday. Half of the 130 CBCP members have confirmed their attendance.

Bishops have expressed differing views on the current crisis, with some openly calling for Arroyo’s ouster and others supporting calls for reforms in government but wanting Arroyo to stay on.

Iñiguez said bishops always have differing views and through the consultative meeting, it is hoped there will be a "convergence" of views.

"It all depends on how the situation is perceived by the individual bishops and by the bishops as a body," he said.

Iñiguez said the meeting is beyond the regular twice a year plenary assembly of the Catholic prelates where they discuss various issues such as the national rural congress, election of CBCP officers, stands on national issues, and the Church’s calendar of activities.

Asked if the move for a special meeting means the bishops are set to call for Arroyo’s resignation, Iñiguez said a consensus cannot be reached in one meeting.

"Palagay ko hindi darating sa ganun ka-blunt (resignation call) kasi medyo sa isang malaking body na may iba’t-ibang perception at understanding sa mga dapat mangyari," he said.

The source said today’s meeting could be just one in a series of special, high-level meetings involving the bishops.

It said the forthcoming bi-monthly CBCP permanent council meeting, set on March 5, could be aligned with the newly established Bishops-Legislators Caucus, "where anything could be possible."

The source said today’s meeting will not tackle the interpretations of Lagdameo’s two earlier calls for "communal action" and a "new brand of people power."

"Agenda is yung situation ngayon, ano na gagawin natin, (to) once and for all do something," the source said.

Lagdameo earlier this month called for communal action in search for truth, justice and accountability in the wake of the exposés on payoffs and other anomalies surrounding govern-ment’s national broadband network project that was awarded to the Chinese firm ZTE Corp.

Amid renewed calls for Arroyo’s ouster triggered by the overpriced NBN-ZTE deal, Lagdameo urged the public to join the search for a "new brand of people power" that he said would help the nation combat massive corruption in the government.