PALMA / CDN PHOTO.JUNJIE MENDOZA
CEBU Archbishop Jose Palma on Tuesday called on President Rodrigo Duterte to reflect deeply on his rant about God and the Catholic Church, saying it won’t do him any good.
If it were a song, the 68-year-old prelate described President Duterte’s controversial remarks as “yabag” or out of sync.
“Of course, we feel sad that our President said words like that,” Palma told Cebu Daily News shortly before he presided over a Mass at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral to celebrate the feast of St. Josemaría Escrivá, a priest and founder of Opus Dei that spreads the universal call to holiness.
“Even before, we already know his (President Duterte) personality. He has a lot of good intentions and goodness but sometimes his language is still yabag,” he added.
Palma called on the people to pray for the country’s top government leader that the latter may be enlightened and find the way of truth.
“Still, we hope that he will realize that what he is doing does not present a good picture of him. When he speaks this kind of language, it does not make people happy,” he said.
A harsh critic of the Catholic Church, President Duterte earned the ire of religious groups after he ranted about and called the God of the Catholics as “stupid.”
Facing an intense backlash over his scathing remarks against the church, President Duterte on Tuesday formed a committee to dialogue with the Catholic Church and other religious groups.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the committee would be a three-man team, which would include him, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ernesto Abella and Council for Philippine Affairs Secretary General Pastor “Boy” Saycon Jr.
Roque said President Duterte made the decision Monday night to address his rift with the Catholic Church.
Palma said he welcomed Malacañang’s move and hoped that something good will come out of it.
“We are a people of dialogue. We’re open to sitting down and try all avenues (to achieve peace),” he said.
Display of arrogance, crossing the line
Other priests in Cebu also expressed dismay over President Duterte’s remark against the Catholic Church and God.
Fr. Roberto “Bobby” Ebisa, SVD, president of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkasters ng Pilipinas Cebu Chapter, said Mr. Duterte remarks were a diplay of arrogance.
“Calling God stupid is a classic example of a person intoxicated by power, sheer arrogance and disrespect of the millions of Christians in this country. It seemed nobody around him has the courage to whisper that he has crossed the line and that God’s justice will come in His own time,” he said.
“I just pray that he will have a change of heart and may God forgive him,” he added.
Fr. Jonas Mejares, OSA, a canon lawyer and former rector of the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño, said he supported President Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs and even volunteered to go with law enforcers in implementing the Tokhang, a campaign where authorities knock on the doors of suspected drug users and pushers to encourage them to surrender.
“But maligning our Mother Church and our God is a different story. And no amount of words can justify one’s own wrongdoing in calling God stupid. In these difficult and challenging times, we need to draw the line,” he said.
“I’m not holier than many of his diehard supporters, some of them have been so good to me. We were silent when he badmouthed the Pope. I was one of those who just kept silent. But I could no longer be silent this time,” he added. /with reports from Inquirer