Posted on 01/24/2017 2:18:09 PM PST by BlessedBeGod
Full Title: Philippine President Dares Entire Bishop's Conference to Resign, as Spat with Church Escalates
Church has no right to criticise violent anti-narcotics campaign because of their own sin, says Duterte.
The President of the Philippines has challenged the country’s entire Catholic Bishop’s Conference to resign over the issue of corruption, saying he will resign if they do, as his spat with the Catholic Church escalates.
“I challenge all the bishops conference. Let’s resign tomorrow, all together, okay? Resign. I will do it first. I will deliver my letter of resignation, you wait,” President Rodrigo Duterte said this morning (24 January) during a meeting with the families of 44 policeman killed in a massacre two years ago.
“We all have the same disgrace,” he added.
In a speech peppered with profanities, Duterte encouraged his audience to read the book ‘Altar of Secrets’ by the late journalist Aries Rufo, which accuses the church of corruption and sexual abuses.
“I challenge you now. I challenge the Catholic Church. You are full of s***. You all smell bad, corruption and all,” Duterte said.
President Rodrigo Duterte has been publicly lambasting the Catholic Church since Bishop Teodoro Bacani, Bishop-Emeritus of Novaliches, raised concerns over the spate of killings linked to the President’s crackdown on illegal drugs. Bishop Bacani described Duterte’s war on drugs as a ‘bringer of death’ during a conference in Manila on 18 January, reports a local news site.
In retaliation, Duterte accused the church of corruption, and its priests of molesting children and condoning and participating in alleged homosexual acts, in a speech given at the Malacanang presidential palace the following day, reports the Phillipine Star.
Duterte said Church officials had no right to criticise his narcotics crackdown because of their own sins.
"You expose me, fine. I expose you. Why? When you commit mistakes, it's okay but when we do, no? That's stupid," the president said.
"What is your moral ascendancy in the Philippines? Religion? What is the meaning of it? You do not help us. You just keep on talking," he added.
In response to Duterte’s accusations last week, Archbishop Ramon Arguelles defended his fellow priests and bishops, saying, "Even a sick doctor must still try to cure ailments of others and, of course, his [Duterte] too."
"Churchmen are not perfect. Nevertheless, they are supposed to proclaim what is right and proper even if they themselves fall short of what they teach,” Arguelles explained in an interview quoted by the news service of the Philippine Catholic Bishops' Conference on 20 January.
"The fault of some should not be blamed on all," he added.
Duterte’s tirade came a day after one of his senior Government advisors met the Pope at the Vatican. Jesus Dureza said the Pontiff had told him he would bless the Philippines and “also bless your president."
Dureza had gone to the Vatican in order to deliver a letter from President Duterte thanking the Pope for his visit to the Philippines in 2015.
There were 5,927 deaths linked to the war on drugs in the Philippines between July 1 and the end of December 2016, according to statistics released by the national police. This figure shows a 51 per cent increase from numbers murdered in the same period during 2015.
Duterte campaigned for the presidency with a pledge to crack down on crime, particularly illegal drugs. Within days of winning the election in June of last year, he launched his violent counter-narcotics campaign.
I love this guy.
How popular is he back in the Philippines? I’m assuming he’s got to be polling better than any US president in the last 100 yrs.
He is very popular. My wife and her entire family voted for Duterte. He is trying to stop the Philippines from becoming the next Mexico. Don't make the mistake, of thinking that these 3rd world people all think like Americans. I can assure you, they don't. Maybe they would be better off if they did, but they don't. He got elected by promising to deal with crime and drugs, and corruption. He is dealing with it. He has sacked quite a few officials, including the head of the NBI (like our FBI) for being on the drug lord's payroll.
He is a disgrace. he’s using the force of the government to murder those that have minor drug offenses and is declaring war on freedom of religion. can’t believe you’d think he was a role model
He wants to trample on freedom of religion. I don’t trust him at all. seems like a petty dictator
You are entitled to your opinion bro. I have the benefit of living here, and seeing it up close. There never was law and order, but he is making it that way. I don't believe for a second, that he is trying to stamp out freedom of religion. It ain't happening.
Trampling?
Were you at the million womyn march the other day?
That's a lefty word.
Attacking the United States and allying with China is not in our national interests
This guy is a mass murderer. The Catholic bishops should excommunicate him.
I thought this was about Duterte stamping out religious freedom? I guess you figured out that is not true, so you move onto a different subject.
I talked to people on the street, just today. Many people are convinced he hasn't gone far enough. Since the Justice system is virtually non existent here, and there are some methods I may not agree with, the people feel like someone finally listened to them. People are saying he needs to kick more rears, and take more names. That's the word on the street bro. I would say, get used to it
if you’re conservative, the most important thing you should be concerned about is liberty and free markets. and if he’s threatening the Catholic Church, he clearly doesn’t believe in liberty.
And as NRx said, the guy is a mass murderer and the Catholic Church is right to stand up to him. He’s a Stalin in the making.
I agree! Why are so many defending him?
I don’t know but it is disturbing that people on a site called Free Republic seem to think political leaders engaging in extrajudicial mass murder is a good thing.
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