Bishop tells Aquino: Don’t be onion-skinned
By Philip C. TubezaPhilippine Daily Inquirer
Don’t be onion-skinned.
A Catholic bishop on Wednesday urged President Aquino not to be overly sensitive to criticisms from the Catholic Church after he scored the Church hierarchy, in front of Born-Again Christians, for often finding fault with his presidency.
Answering Mr. Aquino, Malolos Bishop Jose Oliveros said the Church was in “critical collaboration” with the government and will not stay silent if it sees mistakes in Aquino’s governance.
“He should be ready for that. Our former presidents were also subjected to criticisms. Many people also criticized President (Ferdinand) Marcos and Gloria (Arroyo). (Aquino) should not be onion-skinned,” Oliveros said in an interview over Church-run Radio Veritas.
The President on Tuesday took a swipe at Catholic bishops critical of his administration while attending a meeting of Born-Again Christians at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.
“Even if I’m still just about to open my mouth, they’re already criticizing me. Maybe they’re the ones who give me the chance to prove that I’m a Christian,” Aquino said in Filipino, eliciting applause from those present.
Oliveros said that Catholic prelates would not simply look away if they notice “mistakes committed by the President or his subordinates.”
“The Church is always in critical collaboration with the government. That’s why when bishops notice something that is not right, they say it,” Oliveros said.
He cited as an example the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill, which is being pushed by the administration despite the vehement opposition of the Church hierarchy because it will make artificial contraceptives more widely available .
“The issue on RH bill is a clear violation of the Church’s teachings because this will result in immorality,”Oliveros said.
He said the Aquino administration should learn to listen to criticisms from the Church because the bishops were only thinking about “the good of the majority and the country.”
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Tags: Benigno Aquino , Bishop Jose Oliveros , Government , Politics , Religion
