CBCP exec welcomes proposed dialogue with Duterte

An official of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines has welcomed Malacanang’s openness to seeking a dialogue following President Rodrigo Duterte’s tirades against the Catholic Church.

However, the matter of whether the Church will sit down for a talk with the President is a matter to be decided by not just one, but majority of the country’s bishops.

Fr. Jerome Secillano, executive secretary of the CBCP’s Permanent Committee on Public Affairs, noted a dialogue is a good move to discuss solutions to the problem of illegal drugs.

“It would be prudent for both sides to really sit together and take a collective action on how to legally, ethically and morally address at least the drug problem in our country,” Secillano said.

The CBCP official made the comment in reaction to presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella’s statement that they are open to a dialogue with the bishops, after Duterte’s rants against the Church.

READ: Palace: Duterte’s tirade not ‘anti-Catholic’

Last week, the President attacked the Catholic Church anew for its criticisms on the issue of extra-judicial killings amidst the government’s bloody war against illegal dugs.

Duterte slammed the priests and bishops as corrupt, bringing up old scandals like the issue of bishops who allegedly asked former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for luxury vehicles.

READ: Duterte hits Church: You have no moral ascendancy

He also questioned the Church’s failure to explain how it uses the donations it receives in Masses, and the alleged molestation cases happening inside seminaries.

He even challenged priests to try taking shabu so that they could understand the extent of the country’s illegal drugs problem.

However, the CBCP’s bishops have declined to directly answer Duterte’s tirades against the Church.

Following the attacks, Abella said he was willing to act as an emissary should the President and the bishops decide to sit down for a talk.

Secillano noted that while openness to a dialogue is good, the decision to sit down and talk should be made not just by one but majority of the country’s bishops.

“It’s a good thing that the Palace has taken that initiative… But we cannot predict though the decision of the Church’s hierarchy because it has to be collegial,” he said.

Bishops are scheduled to meet from January 25 to 30 for the CBCP’s plenary assembly, during which the issue might be tackled.

Secillano noted that a dialogue is a good thing “if only for the bickering to stop and not further inflict undue harm on each other which has caused division.”