THE Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines on Friday toned down its criticisms of President Rodrigo Duterte and asked him to engage in an open dialogue for the welfare of the people and the country.
In a statement, CBCP president and Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles said the “communication lines are open” and that the Church would always consider the teachings of the Gospel in dealing with the government.
“Our standpoint is we come from the viewpoint of the Gospel and the teachings of the Church. We will continue to engage the government,” Valles said.
He said he was “a little fortunate” because he and the president both come from Davao City.
Valles downplayed the reports he is a close friend of Duterte but said they were indeed friends.
He said the bishops had many ideas for discussion and plans of action that were more or less universally recognized.
“There is also a ‘set play’ like the nine-year preparation for the celebration in 2021 [of the quincentennial establishment of Christianity in the Philippines] which I cannot just suddenly change,” Valles said.
He said the social action arm of the Catholic Church should further strengthen its efforts in disaster preparedness and response considering the number of natural calamities that recently hit the country, specifically the Visayas and Mindanao.
“While the social action arm is doing very well, we should learn from our weaknesses and respond to calamities soonest. There are still families in Davao temporarily staying at the evacuation centers,” Valles said.
He said the CBCP should focus on the laity and integrating the Catholic faithful, who are not members of the church-based organizations, into the Basic Ecclesiastical Communities “where they can play a more active role” in the Church.