PHILIPPINES
UCA News
Joe Torres, Manila
Philippines June 6, 2016
The head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines underscored the “virtue in silence” amid renewed attacks made by incoming President Rodrigo Duterte against church leaders.
“Mine is the silence of respect for those who consider us their enemies but whose good we truly pray for and whose happiness we want to see unfold,” said Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan, the conference’s president.
The prelate made the statement June 5 after Duterte accused Philippine bishops and priests of corruption, child abuse, and of breaking their vows of celibacy.
The incoming president said the country’s Catholic bishops, whom Duterte claimed campaigned against him during the elections, are hypocrites for receiving luxury cars as charity from a state lottery.
In his message titled “Understanding Silence,” Archbishop Villegas defended his refusal to answer the allegations of Duterte.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.