ANGELES CITY--A Catholic bishop in Pampanga has asked lay leaders in the province to stop fielding priests as candidates in the elections, shutting out the clamor for Gov. Eddie Panlilio, a priest, to run for reelection or a national position.

The appeal of Auxiliary Bishop Pablo Virgilio David came toward the end of a forum of the Council of Laity of the Archdiocese of San Fernando at the Holy Angel University here on Saturday.

"Huwag na kayong magtulak ng kaparian sa eleksyon (Don't push clergymen to run in the elections)," said David.

The forum, he said, signified a "major breakthrough" in the efforts of the Pampanga laity at evangelization and renewal of politics. It was the first time that the bishop made such a public appeal.

San Fernando Archbishop Paciano Aniceto, who left before the forum started, said in April that he, David and Auxiliary Bishop Roberto Mallari had talked with Panlilio to urge him to leave politics and resume his priestly duties.

David said the involvement of Catholics in politics as candidates or as advocates of clean and honest elections makes it "not necessary for clerics to enter politics."

The 2007 elections presented different circumstances, he said, referring to the time when concerned Kapampangans pushed Panlilio, already 28 years in his priesthood by then, to run against two allies of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Panlilio, who attended the forum, said he welcomed David's remarks.

"I did not present myself as a candidate. I was part of the search process [for a suitable bet] but when that failed, they fielded me," he told reporters.

He said he prefers to rejoin the clergy after his term ends in 2010.

In an interview, David said politics was a field for the laity.

"Our laity in Pampanga has matured since the 2007 elections," he said. "We're hoping and praying [that no more priests will enter politics], that Among (Father) Ed will encourage the laity to look for the very good, very competent, very enlightened Catholic laity he has worked with and lead them," David said.

Their running for public office, he said, can be a sign of Panlilio's success.

Panlilio's entry in politics, David said, was a "temporary solution" to the Pampanga situation. "That temporary solution will be a failure if [Panlilio] stays in public office permanently," he said.