Catholic lay leaders running in May polls need not resign, says Laguna Bishop

SAN PABLO CITY, Philippines–Laguna Bishop Buenaventura M. Famadico told parish priests, religious and members of the Laguna clergy to allow their parish lay leaders to run for elective positions in the May 13 elections without asking them to file their courtesy resignations.

Speaking before the clergy during their monthly assembly in this city on Monday, Famadico said the domain for partisan politics rightly belongs to the laity, hence there is nothing wrong if they run for office even if they are actively holding positions in the Church.

He told about 200 priests and religious that the Church as an institution encourages Catholics who have leadership potentials to run for office in government but he warned them not to campaign while performing their Church functions inside the Church premises.

The bishop however cautioned those Catholics running for office and campaigning for the coming elections must not join the Church-backed Parish Pastoral Council For Responsible Voting and National Movement for Free Election (Namfrel) to protect the impartiality and objectivity of the organization.

There are more than 80 parishes in the Diocese of San Pablo (Laguna) and more than 2.6 million Catholic constituencies, according to the latest Catholic Directory of the Philippines.

The prelate also enjoined parish priests and religious to avoid being partisan.

He stressed their role during the elections is to provide moral guidance to their voter-churchgoers on the qualities of the candidates to vote for in the May elections.

Famadico told priests to refrain from naming names openly to endorse candidates as this constitutes partisanship and would not be good for an institution that symbolizes unity in society.