The Cardinal and the Archbishop

FOR too long, the Catholic laity have been getting mixed signals from their two eminent church leaders: Luis Cardinal Tagle and Archbishop Socrates Villegas.

While both were critical of the Duterte Administration, pointing gout what they perceive as acts of the government that go against the values and teachings of the church, they differ in responding to the government’s affairs.

The two leaders’ latest responses (to the president’s “stupid” God remark) are telling enough.

Tagle chose to appeal for calm as he pointed out that the Church’s institutional concerns, citing its history, saying “that questioning God and God’s way is not new,” adding that “it is as old as humanity and religions… “and that “In the history of the Church, they have become moments for study, reflection, and clarification of doctrine.” He was pragmatic and conciliatory.

Villegas, however, invoked need to “Conquer evil with good” and cited “spiritual warfare as he chose to focus and describe the president’s persona to explain his ranting. He surmised that the president “must have received so much rejection and hurts in the past that he blurts out so much hatred and angst now”.  He was condescending and arrogant.

On this issue, the two church leaders divided the laity on how the Church should continue to relate with the government.

 

Who is stupid?

AMID the uproar sparked by President Duterte’s recent statement that we have a “stupid God,” Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio of Davao City, the presidential daughter, said: “Don’t listen to his ‘talkkalese,’ please. Listen only when he speaks about his work.”

Wrote Sister Marissa Piramide of the Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing, Manila Priory: “Let’s not be dragged into a word war with the President… Let’s focus on the major issues and concerns of the nation… on our faith and on the God each one of us believes in, for that’s the most important.

An evangelist called for Mr. Duterte to apologize for “insulting God.”

But in a pointed reference to that, Manila Archbishop Cardinal Tagle, quoting the second Vatican Council, said: “All people should strive to respect those who differ from their beliefs. Religions are not to be used for conflicts but for mutual understanding and peace. Questioning God and God’s ways was as old as humanity and religions.”

So what’s all the fuss about?

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