Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David has criticized Catholics who believe and agree that drug users and pushers are not part of humanity.
In a homily on Saturday during a Singles for Christ gathering in Makati City, David lamented the seeming apathy and indifference of the public, including some Catholics, to the spate of killings.
“I hope you understand why my heart bleeds when I hear about Catholics who agree that addicts are not human,” he said.
David added: “My heart bleeds when there are Catholics who agree that criminals cannot be reformed, that they deserve to die and be exterminated if we are to have a peaceful Philippine society.”
He clarified, however, in a post on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines news website that this did not mean that the drug problem should be ignored.
“But our question is how are you fighting this war?
I know they have declared a war. But my question is war against whom? Before declaring a war, are we not supposed to identify first who our enemies and allies are? That’s all we are asking,” David said.
According to him, he could not remain silent on the spate of killings, especially since his diocese has become a “killing field” in the past two years.
He stressed that drug addicts needed help, not scorn and hateful revenge from the public, including Catholics who were called to follow Jesus Christ.
“It’s not going to be easy. We took a stand and our advocacy is to stop the killing and start the healing and now we are in bad company because we are trying to save the addicts, the people you are told to avoid,” he said.
David added: “Please do not forget that the Eucharist is not bread only for the righteous. It’s precisely because we are sinners that we need the Eucharist. The Eucharist is bread broken for broken people like you and me.” —Julie M. Aurelio