Bishops tackle Cha-cha in Cebu City plenary

Romulo Valles

Moves to amend the 1987 Constitution is expected to be among the national issues to be taken up when the country’s Catholic bishops gather for their first plenary assembly this year.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) will hold its plenary assembly in Cebu City this weekend, the first under its new president, Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles.

Fr. Jerome Secillano, executive secretary of the CBCP permanent committee on public affairs, said the bishops had not forged a stand on the issue but “whatever stand they have is always the fruit of their collective efforts.”

More than 80 active and retired bishops are expected to attend the biannual assembly, the first of which will last from Saturday to Monday.

It will be the first time for Valles to preside over the meeting. Valles, a known friend of President Duterte, assumed his post in December last year.

He succeeded Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, an outspoken critic of the spate of killings under Duterte’s war against illegal drugs.

Secillano said the prelates usually issued a pastoral statement on key national issues after the assembly.

“They will deliberate on it. If they are unanimous in deciding for it, they will definitely write one about it,” he said.

Earlier, Valles said other issues likely to be discussed during the plenary assembly were the new guidelines from Rome on priestly formation and 2018 as the Year of the Clergy and Consecrated Persons.

He is also expected to report on the progress of the CBCP’s plans for the 500th celebration of the arrival of Christianity in the country, which will be held in 2021.