The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines has broken its silence on tirades heaped on the Catholic Church, saying they too needed guidance in order to properly guide the Catholic faithful.
“Forgive us for the length of time that it took us to find our collective voice. We, too, needed to be guided properly and prepare in discernment before we could guide you,” the CBCP said in a pastoral statement penned by its president, Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles.
The group of Catholic bishops said it has “silently noted” instances when the Church received “cruel words” that “pierced” it like “sharp daggers.”
“We have taken our cue from Pope Francis who tells us that in some instances, the best response is silence and prayer,” the CBCP said.
President Rodrigo Duterte has frequently assailed the Catholic Church and its doctrines, having accused its priests of sexually abusing children and mocking its practices and beliefs. Once, he called for bishops who criticize his administration to be killed.
In response to this, the CBCP opted to keep mum. “We do not want to add fuel to the fire. Our comments may just exacerbate the matter,” Fr. Jerome Seciliano, Executive Secretary of the CBCP Permanent Committee on Public Affairs said.
But in “Conquering Evil with Good,” the pastoral letter the CBCP issued Monday after its three-day plenary assembly, Filipino bishops said that while they respect the right to freedom of religion and expression, these rights do “not include a license to insult other people’s faith, especially our core beliefs.”
They also maintained their stance against the killings of “mostly poor people” that have been associated with the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, but emphasized that they are not against fighting illegal drugs.
“As bishops we have no intention of interfering in the conduct of state affairs. But neither do we intend to abdicate our sacred mandate as shepherds to whom the Lord entrusted His flock. We have a solemn duty to defend our flock, especially when they are attacked by wolves,” the CBCP said.
“No amount of intimidation or even threat to our lives will make us give up our prophetic role especially that of giving voice to the voiceless,” the bishops said.
They also attributed the twin blasts at a cathedral in Jolo, Sulu that killed at least 20 and injured almost 100 to “the cycle of hate that is destroying the moral fabric of our country.”
The CBCP appealed to lawmakers to reconsider the proposal to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 years old, which they said would cause great harm to young Filipinos.
“There is no way we can call ourselves a civilized society if we hold children in conflict with the law criminally liable. Children who get involved in crimes, such as those who are used as runners by adult drug pushers, do not deserve to be treated as criminals. They are victims that need to be rescued,” the CBCP said.
Relations between the Catholic Church and Duterte have continued to be sour, even as Palace officials have tried to broker talks with Church officials, but his attacks against the religion of the majority of the Filipino population continued.
In a press briefing where the pastoral letter was read, Valles said he was invited to Malacañang in July 2018 where he and Duterte had a “very cordial” meeting. He said they no longer met after that, except to see the return of the Balangiga Bells to Balangiga town in Eastern Samar.
