While stressing the need to defend the Catholic Church against attacks, Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle of Manila called on the people “not to be distracted” from other issues that affect them.
Meanwhile, a Catholic archbishop refused to get involved in a war of words with President Duterte, calling on the faithful to instead pray for the country’s top leader.
Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan called on Catholics not to let Duterte’s tirades against the Church for calling God “stupid” deter them from praying for him.
“Pray for him with compassion. We pray for his healing and for God’s forgiveness on him,” Villegas said in a statement addressed to the young people in the archdiocese.
But the former president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) urged the people to rebuke Duterte’s “errors” about Christian faith.
“He is a person in authority, and some of you might get confused when you hear him. To pray for him is not enough. We must serve you the truth as we pray for him,” Villegas said.
“We are in a spiritual warfare against error and sin. Shield yourselves from error and guide your fellow youth in godliness. Read more about the faith. Study the true teaching of the Church,” he said.
Tagle said that with the increasing prices of goods, the rising unemployment, corruption and the continued killings, these are real issues that need attention and must be addressed.
“Let us not be distracted from addressing other pressing concerns with fervor of faith and love,” Tagle said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
The cardinal, who is currently in Geneva for the UN Conference on Migrants and Refugees, made the statement after President’s recent tirade against the Church, its teachings, and even calling God “stupid.”
Duterte also blasted the creation story in the Bible and questioned the characters in the Last Supper, and called them “idiots.”
Tagle urged the faithful to harbor no grudge and to remain firm in their faith.
“Be at peace. Be calm. Don’t let things disturb your inner peace. Let us read the situation with eyes of faith,” he said.
He lamented the worsening traffic in big cities, flooding, exploitation of women and children, the vulnerabilities of Filipino workers abroad, and terrorism as among the problems besetting the nation.
“We need to come together and contribute to positive responses according to each one’s capability. We cannot address these problems by just blaming someone,” he said.
As a constructive step, he encouraged the church’s philosophers, scientists, theologians, Bible scholars, catechists and social workers to revisit these concerns “and present responses appropriate to our contemporary sensibilities.”
“Maybe a renewed apologetics is needed for those who are sincerely searching for the truth,” he added.
Bishop Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan said disagreeing with a particular belief does not give Duterte the license to insult the Catholic Church, especially that many of his supporters are Catholics.
“Disagreeing is never a license to insult,” said David, who is also the CBCP vice president.
“How can he be the president for all Filipinos when he does not respect the Catholic faithful? Majority of his supporters are Catholics, aren’t they? We hope he will respect Catholics even if he does not agree with the Catholic faith,” he said.
“Catholics respect his role and mandate as the president. We can only hope that he shows the same respect to Catholics even if he disagrees with the Catholic doctrine,” said David.
According to Villegas, the president’s “scarred past” may be one of the reasons he has been showing hatred and angst.
“He must have received so much rejection and hurts in the past that he blurts out so much hatred and angst now. If he had been loved much, he would be giving so much of that love too,” he said.
Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo earlier said that Duterte’s criticisms against the Church were tactics meant to divert public attention away from critical issues involving the administration.
“The criticisms of Duterte against the Church are diversionary tactics to cover the failures of his administration,” he said.
Image credits: Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan