Our Catholic Archbishop refused to get involved in a war of words with President Rodrigo Duterte, calling on the faithful to instead pray for the country’s top leader.
“Pray for him with compassion. We pray for his healing and for God’s forgiveness on him, He is a person in authority and some of you might get confused when you hear him. To pray for him is not enough. We must serve you the truth as we pray for him, We are in a spiritual warfare against error and sin. Shield yourselves from error and guide your fellow youth in godliness. Read more about the faith, Study the true teaching of the Church, Disagreeing is never a license to insult, How can he be the president for all Filipinos when he does not respect the Catholic faithful? Majority of his supporters are Catholics, aren’t they? We hope he will respect Catholics even if he does not agree with the Catholic faith, Catholics respect his role and mandate as the President. We can only hope that he shows the same respect to Catholics even if he disagrees with the Catholic doctrine, He must have received so much rejection and hurts in the past that he blurts out so much hatred and angst now. If he had been loved much, he would be giving so much of that love too,”
– Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan
Mga kapanalig tayo ay tinatawag na ating ipanalangin ang ating Presidente, naway pagalingin siya ng ating Panginoong Diyos at patawarin siya sa kanyang mga nagawang kasalanan. Alam naman natin na “we are not perfect” walang perfect na tao na isinilang sa mundo kundi ang ating Panginoong Hesu-Kristo lamang. Kagaya din ni Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan tayo din ay umaasa na he will respect Us Catholics, kahit hindi siya agree sa ating pananampalatayang Katoliko. Para sa mga Katoliko na binabatikos din ang simbahan naway magising narin kayo at depensahan ang ating pananampalatayang Katoliko. Tayo’y dapat sumunod sa batas ang sabi sa Code of Canon Law 879.
The sacrament of confirmation strengthens the baptized and obliges them more firmly to be witnesses of Christ by word and deed and to spread and defend the faith. It imprints a character, enriches by the gift of the Holy Spirit the baptized continuing on the path of Christian initiation, and binds them more perfectly to the Church.
