Duterte not needed for Church’s 500th year — bishops

MANILA, Philippines — The Catholic Church will celebrate the 500th year of Christianity in the Philippines in 2021 even without the support of President Duterte, three prelates said yesterday.

Bishops Ruperto Santos of Balanga, Honesto Ongtioco of Cubao and Arturo Bastes of Sorsogon shrugged off the pronouncement of Duterte that he has no plans to celebrate the quincentenary of the Catholic faith in the country, which he branded as subjugation and imperialism.

“We do not need the opinion of Duterte. We will celebrate it without him,” Bastes said in an interview.

Santos, for his part, said the Church respects the opinion of Duterte and stressed that it does not impose the Catholic faith on non-believers.

He explained that the Church will celebrate the occasion to thank God for his protection and provisions for 500 years.

“Those 500 years are God’s graces. God comes to us. Christianity is God’s gift to us. It is his blessing and we are blessed. And we have to be grateful to God. We have to appreciate the sacrifices and services of those early missionaries who planted the seed of the gospel to us. It is our nature to be always grateful, (we express our debt of gratitude),” Santos said.

“Anyone is welcome to celebrate with us,” Santos added.

Ongtioco agreed with Santos, saying the President has every right to express his belief on religion.

“He has his own right to express himself. Our faith is beyond what people say and how they react. Our hearts are focused on God,” Ongtioco pointed out.

The bishops made the statements in response to the pronouncements made by Duterte in an interview with religious leader Apollo Quiboloy aired over Sonshine TV last Saturday.

“They brought religion, fine. But you didn’t have to subjugate my country and made my brothers and sisters under the yoke of imperialism for 400 years,” Duterte said.

“Their thinking remains the same. If you think that Padre Damaso is gone, you are mistaken. Padre Damaso is alive and kicking,” Duterte said, referring to one of the villains in national hero Jose Rizal’s novel “Noli me Tangere.”

“I tell you, it is not a good religion. If you do not believe me, fine,” he added. 

Rizal as god

Duterte also heaped praises on Rizal, who criticized the abuses of Spanish civil and religious authorities in the late 19th century.

“Ang tingin ko kay Rizal, talagang God (I think of Rizal as god), he’s my hero. And others also, Filipinos who died for the nation. And we then go to another place to face the fools who killed Rizal,” the President said.