MANILA Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle called on all community and parish leaders to work together to fight the illegal drug trade, which the Church leader described in his homily as “evil” that is “slowly killing people.”
The Cardinal’s call appeared to be in response to President Rodrigo Duterte’s challenge to bishops and priests to join the government’s war against the worsening drug problem in the country.
But the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines rejected PNP chief Gen. Ronald dela Rosa’s proposal for a PNP-Church partnership, saying priests need not join the rebranded police anti-illegal drug operations to support the drug fight.
According to the CBCP, the Church will support whatever strategy there is, for as long as there’s no killing and it is devoid of any corrupt and unjust practice.
In his homily, Cardinal Tagle said it’s wrong to leave behind drug dependents or treat them like outcasts.
“If I sell or give something that can destroy my neighbor, and I gained from it, it’s like killing that person,” Tagle said.
He reminded the faithful not to belittle the ability of people to change, emphasizing that even the worst of sinners can be redeemed and forgiven by God.
“Stop saying that they are useless and can be thrown away. We do not know what God will do,” he said. “Maybe in His hands a miracle will happen.”
To this end, the CBCP has relaunched the “Sanlakbay sa Pagbabago ng Buhay,” a faith-based approach geared towards the “healing, restoration, and rehabilitation” of drug dependents.
In January, Tagle signed a partnership with Fazenda da Esperança (Farm of Hope) to further strengthen the archdiocese’s program to help address the drug problem.
Sanlakbay was first launched in October 2016 as the local church’s response to the thousands of drug users who voluntarily surrendered to police authorities.