Catholic church leader backs Macapagal on US troops

Inq7 ^ | Posted: 5:30 PM (Manila Time) | Mar. 20, 2002

[duck soup]

A SENIOR Roman Catholic church leader on Wednesday backed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's decision to bring in US troops for a joint anti-terror mission in the south.

Archbishop Orlando Quevedo, head of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, chided leftist groups for opposing Ms Macapagal's decision to let US troops take part in joint operations against the alleged local allies of the al-Qaeda terror network.

Such critics were ignoring the "overwhelming" support for the US assistance in the fight against Abu Sayyaf Muslim kidnappers who are linked to al-Qaeda," Quevedo said in a statement.

He said the anti-US protests, staged by a small group, were turning "a molehill into a mountain".

Some 660 US soldiers are training and advising Filipino combat troops.

Quevedo also criticized supporters of deposed president Joseph Estrada, now on trial for corruption, for demanding that he be allowed to go abroad for medical treatment or exile.

[evad]

As long as it doesn't pertain to things of "moral" value, the Catholic church leaders can speak with as much authority as anyone else...I guess.

What a disgrace they have been exposed to be.

God is not going to be happy when he greets this bunch.

[duck soup]

Philippines Terrorists Could Target Bishop

And if you are a target?

[livius]

This is good. It appears that the Catholic Church in the Philippines at least is not a hotbed of old leftie "liberation theology," the way it is in many parts of Latin America. Let's hope that Catholic leaders in the Philippines are more realistic, both about the left and about Islam, than many of their counterparts elsewhere.

[Mr. Thorne]

Actually, I've seen some of this, um, second hand, as it were. We have a priest, Fr. Steve, who runs a mission in the Phillipines. He was nearly killed last year when the guerillas decided it was time to take down the infidel. He was off making a house call (a family wanted annointing of the sick, I believe, for their little girl), and a parishioner came running up to that house, telling him not to go back to the church. The muslims were laying in wait for him. Searching the nearby houses, too, if I'm not mistaken.

Fun fun fun.