Tagle opens Church’s doors to help drug addicts recover

MANILA, Philippines – Manila Archbishop Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle has welcomed drug dependents to Church to help them recover from addiction.

Tagle promoted the Manila archdiocese’s Restorative Justice Ministry, a community-based rehabilitation program to be set up in different parishes. He expressed hope that the program will be able to support anyone battling drug addiction as it designed to help anyone in need of spiritual, formation skills formation and livelihood support.

“We are here for you. Let us not waste life. It is important and it has to be protected and nurtured,” Tagle said.

The Restorative Justice Ministry has tied up with other organizations and concerned government agencies to provide drug dependents the treatment and recovery services they need. The partner agencies and groups include Center for Family Ministries, UST Graduate School Psycho-Trauma, Department of Health, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and the Philippine National Police.

The community-based rehabilitation program started last Tuesday, September 13,  at the  San Roque de Manila Parish in Sta. Cruz, Manila to reach out to people who have been excluded by the church or severely judged.

“We, in the Church failed to address the issue. We failed to be a companion to these people. So now, we are trying what we can do given the urgency of the need,” parish priest Tony Navarette said.

According to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, the archdioceses of Cebu and Cagayan de Oro have also offered help to drug dependents who are seeking rehabilitation and healing.

Last month, the CBCP called on the faithful to unite against drugs but said sinners must be given hope and not dead.

“Our weapon is love not vengeance. The blood of the Lord is enough,” CBCP president Socrates Villegas said. —Rosette Adel