Media urged to know when a bishop speaks for himself, the CBCP or the Church

MANILA, Philippines—Church leaders urged the media on Saturday to differentiate between the opinions of a bishop and official statements of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

In a forum aimed at bridging perceived miscommunication between Church and media held at the Ateneo de Manila University, Bishop Luis Antonio Tagle of Imus, Cavite, said there was a difference between a bishop’s statement and that of the Church hierarchy, among other issues.

Tagle, who is chair of the Catholic Bishops’ Episcopal Commission on Doctrine of the Faith, said there was “dynamic tension” between the Church and its leaders.

The forum was hosted by the Jesuit Communications Foundation Inc. in a bid to boost the relations between the Church and the media following several  controversies.

Forum participants observed that in the wake of news reports that have put the Church in a bad light, there was need to address what appeared to be a “breakdown of communication” between the two parties.

Tagle cited the purported “excommunication” of President Aquino amid the raging debate over the reproductive health bill and the controversial “Pajero 7 bishops,” who were erroneously reported to have received sports utility vehicles from the previous administration (They bought other kinds of vehicles, it was later clarified).

At the forum called “Reporting on the Church: Dialogue Between Media and the Church,” Tagle stressed that the Catholic Church observes a “hierarchy of truth,” in which a bishop, as a teacher of faith must strive to know “what it is all about.” But this doesn’t stop bishops from forming opinions, he added.

“But we must distinguish between our opinion and the saving truth,” said  the prelate. He said there were many times when news reports carried statements of a bishop or a certain Church leader, which were taken as those of the CBCP or those of the Church itself, often causing confusion.

A bishop “is not equivalent to the CBCP,” the prelate said. The official spokesperson of the CBCP was its president and in his absence, only the media arm of the Church hierarchy could give official statements, Tagle said.

At the same time, “the bishops are not accountable to the CBCP. [There is] no intermediary office between the Pope and the bishops [and these direct lines] should not be impeded,” he added.

But there was also no directive barring bishops from airing their opinions on certain issues hounding society, he noted.

“The Church is a servant to the truth that God has introduced… whether it is convenient or not, we have to serve the truth.”

He admitted that some of the Church’s messages may appear mysterious to those who try to listen.  “We could also learn how to present the teachings of the Church in a way that is chewable and understandable to our general public,” said the prelate.