PH bishops call for three-day fasting after Duterte calls God ‘stupid’

Archbishop Romulo Valles (center), president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), gestures as he speaks to Monday, July 9, 2018, in Manila, Philippines. The CBCP has called for fasting and prayers after President Rodrigo Duterte called God “stupid” and questioned God’s existence. (Photo by AARON FAVILA / AP)

Philippine Catholic bishops have called for fasting and prayers after President Rodrigo Duterte called God “stupid” and questioned God’s existence in remarks that set the president on a “collision course” with Asia’s largest Catholic church.

CBCP calls for a 3 day of prayer and fasting on July 17-19,2018.

— CBCPNews (@cbcpnews) July 9, 2018

Archbishop Romulo Valles, who heads the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, called for a day of prayers Monday on July 16 to invoke “God’s mercy and justice on those who have blasphemed God’s holy name, those who slander and bear false witness and those who commit murder or justify murder as a means for fighting criminality.”

Valles asked Filipino Catholics to join bishops in three more days of fasting, prayer and almsgiving starting on July 17.

Duterte has had a thorny relationship with Catholic bishops, who have criticized his bloody anti-drug crackdown and vulgar language.

RELATED STORY: Duterte meets Valles, agrees to ‘moratorium on statements’ vs Church

Valles: This meeting is to initiate openess and dialogue with the president. #CBCPNews

— CBCPNews (@cbcpnews) July 9, 2018

/vvp