Duterte eyes good rapport with Catholic Church hierarchy

President Duterte pays his last respects to the late former Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal during his visit to the wake at Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. —MALACAÑANG PHOTO

After more than 15 months of trading barbs with Catholic clergymen, President Rodrigo Duterte said he wanted to develop “good rapport” with the Church hierarchy.

“For as long as we listen to each other. All is good when you listen to other people,” Mr. Duterte said as he paid his last respects to the late Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal at Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.

Vidal died at Perpetual Succour Hospital in Cebu City on Oct. 18 at the age of 86.

“That’s what I’m thinking about. [There] could be good rapport between me and the Church and the people, all our brothers and sisters, the Muslims, the Moro in Mindanao. We all need to talk,” he added.

Utmost respect

The President praised the deceased cardinal, who was one of the few prelates to whom Mr. Duterte deferred with utmost respect.

“In the years that he led the [Cebu] church, you can never say anything bad about His Eminence,” said Mr. Duterte, who had repeatedly made fun of Catholic doctrine and even cursed the Pope during his visit to the country in January 2015.

“I’m here because, first and foremost, this is my obligation as a member of the Catholic Church,” he said. “Secondly, it’s important for me to be here as a Cebuano and as your President.”

“[Vidal] did not, he wouldn’t even scold people. He wouldn’t do anything. I know this because I am from Cebu, from Danao,” he said.

While the President grew up in Davao, he traces his family’s roots to Cebu, where he won resoundingly in the 2016 presidential elections.

Vidal never endorsed anyone for President in 2016, but shortly after Mr. Duterte’s victory in May last year, the cardinal called on the President, and Mr. Duterte put the prelate’s hand to his head, a traditional Filipino gesture of respect.

The cardinal also reciprocated the President’s respect.

Mr. Duterte is “a good person, madaling kausapin, hindi ka matatakot [easy to speak with, not fearsome at all].”

Different tack

Even when several clergymen were publicly assailing Mr. Duterte’s deadly war on drugs, Vidal adopted a different tack.

“We in the Church, we are all obliged, as citizens, to pray for our President, whether we like him or not,” he said in February.

“Since he won in the elections, we have to accept that. Let us cooperate with him in whatever way we can,” Vidal said.

“There should be understanding between the government and the Church. If there is no harmony, when will peace come?” Vidal said.

At the same time, however, Vidal also said the Catholic clergy was “prolife, therefore we have to maintain our love for life that God has given.”

There was no immediate reply to Mr. Duterte’s suggestion of establishing better rapport with the Church. —WITH REPORTS FROM JOSE SANTINO BUNACHITA AND NESTOR P. BURGOS