AFTER several church leaders questioned the leadership qualities of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, the country’s Catholic episcopacy pledged on Tuesday to “collaborate” with the incoming Duterte administration.
“The greatest promise the Church can offer any government is vigilant collaboration, and that offer, we make now,” said Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines president Archbishop Socrates Villegas in a post-election statement issued on Tuesday.
At the same time, he assured of prayers and continued guidance those who will be elected in office.
“To those who have been voted to office, we assure them of our prayers, principally for wisdom, that they may discern God’s will for His people and courageously do as He bids,” Villegas added in a statement titled “Get up now, let us go!”
With this, the Catholic prelate asked Filipinos to also make an effort in working with the new government and to continue to be watchful.
“We urge our people to work with the government for the good of all, and we shall continue to be vigilant so that ever so often we may speak out to teach and to prophesy, to admonish and to correct—for this is our vocation,” he added.
As for those who were not fortunate to be elected, Villegas noted that they should not be discouraged, but rather make themselves useful and focused in finding ways to make the nation great.
“To those who did not succeed, you, as persons, as sons and daughters of God, are infinitely so much more than the positions after which you aspired. Rather than becoming despondent and discouraged, you should challenge yourselves by asking how it is that the Risen Lord sends you “to make disciples of all nations,” the Lingayen-Dagupan prelate said.
“Surely there are so many other ways to contribute to the building of the Kingdom of God. It is for you to discover your paths, in faith and in docility to God’s spirit,” he added.