Catholic Church not afraid of Duterte - CBCP head

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/trending/02/12/villegas-duterte.jpg"/></figure></div>MANILA - Besieged by criticisms from President Rodrigo Duterte, Catholic Bishops&#x27; Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas asserted Monday that clergymen are not afraid of the sharp-tongued leader.&quot;We are only afraid of sin, we are not even afraid of God because I know God loves me so much, I have no reason to be afraid of Him,&quot; Villegas said during a forum with the Philippine Daily Inquirer.&quot;The Church is only afraid of sin because sin separates us from God. All the others are manageable.&quot;Villegas, however, clarified that he is not picking a fight with the President nor implying that they are equals.&quot;There is only one that makes us afraid and that is sin. All the others, if God is with us, no one, nothing can ever be against us.&quot;Duterte has insulted Catholic Church leaders who have opposed his bloody war on drugs, his backing of the Reproductive Health Law, and his move to revive the death penalty.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/focus/01/19/17/duterte-blasts-priests-you-have-no-moral-ascendancy">Duterte blasts priests: You have no moral ascendancy</a></li></ul>The President has also dubbed the Catholic Church as &quot;the most hypocritical institution,&quot; and alleged that he was once molested by a Jesuit priest.<div>MORAL ASCENDANCY</div>Addressing these tirades, Villegas said that though the Church has always been marred by the sinfulness of its members, the 2,000 year-old institution derives its holiness from Christ, not its leaders.Clergymen, Villegas said, are open to receiving criticism so long as these are coupled with a &quot;challenge to be better.&quot;&quot;Kapag sinabi mo sa katabi mo na hindi maganda ang damit, pero ang resulta nun ay na-discourage na, nawala na ang self-esteem, hindi maganda iyun. Pero &#x27;pag sinabi mo sa katabi mong ito ang suggestion ko para gumanda ang appeal mo, you give that person hope,&quot; he said.&quot;Iyun ang pakiusap ko, na sana, kung magko-correct tayo, bibigyan natin ang bawat isa ng pag-asa -- hindi iyung sugatan na, marumi na, sisipain pa natin.&quot;The Church is also willing to cooperate with the government and hopes the administration could acknowledge the &quot;little good things we have contributed to the country as we also recognize the many good things they have done,&quot; Villegas said.

MANILA - Besieged by criticisms from President Rodrigo Duterte, Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas asserted Monday that clergymen are not afraid of the sharp-tongued leader.

MANILA - Besieged by criticisms from President Rodrigo Duterte, Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas asserted Monday that clergymen are not afraid of the sharp-tongued leader.

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Catholic Church not afraid of Duterte - CBCP head

Catholic Church not afraid of Duterte - CBCP head

Jamaine Punzalan,

ABS-CBN News

Published Feb 13, 2017 06:28 PM PHT

Read More:

CBCP

Soc Villegas

Rodrigo Duterte

Catholic Church

religion

church-state relations

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