The
militant labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) has joined the entire
Christendom in mourning the death of Pope John Paul II. "During his
term as Pope, Karol Josef Wojtyla promoted the Catholic Church as
the "Church of the Poor." For this, he will be most remembered by
billions of poor Catholic devotees worldwide,' said KMU Chairman Elmer
Labog.
"The Pope died a martyr. He devoted his entire life in serving the people through his service to the Church. With his demise, we lost a devoted public servant
and labor advocate. We pay highest tribute to the Pope because of his utmost regard and concern for the working people," said KMU Chairman Elmer Labog.
In Laborem Exercens, the Pope said that "Work is one of the characteristics that distinguish man from the rest of creatures, whose activity for sustaining their
lives cannot be called work. Only man is capable of work, and only man works, at the same time by work occupying his existence on earth."
Laborem Exercens, released in 1981 during the 90th year anniversary of the Rerum Navarum, is a collection of the Pope's views on human labor and the social action
towards work and workers.
"The Pope has high regards for the working people. He values the dignity of human work and promotes the right to a just wage and to the personal security of the worker
and his or her family. He criticizes unemployment, low wages and other violation of workers rights as violations of the dignity of human work," Labog said.
Aside from his pro-worker stance, the Pope can be well remembered by Filipino workers because of his support to the people's anti-Marcos dictatorship campaign.
His anti-war position, particularly about the US war of aggression against the Iraqi people also influenced millions of Christians worldwide. Above all, his promotion
of social justice and equality is important and valuable to us. Pope John Paul's valuable legacy and hard work will always be remembered," Labog concluded.
