Tagle says Catholic Church letting parishioners freely choose candidates on May 9

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MANILA—Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle said that the Catholic Church is letting the faithful to choose their candidates in the May 9 national and local elections.

He noted that they believe that every voter should be given the freedom to choose his/her candidate based on his/her own rationale and conscience.

“We don’t want to preach participation at the same time curtail the people’s capacity to participate intellectually, rationally, and with conscience,” the Cardinal said in his Homily at the Manila Cathedral recently.

Tagle said that what they can do is to continuously encourage voters to be responsible in choosing whom they should vote for.

“What a blessing to be able to participate…What a blessing but what a responsibility,” he said.

Tagle noted that the Church has been firm in its decision not to endorse specific candidates during elections as a way to show respect to the capacity of every faithful to choose their bets.

“Malinaw po na ito ay participation ng bawat mamamayan. At dahil malinaw yan, ang mga opispo ng Pilipinas ay nag-decision na bilang obispo ay hindi kami magi-impose sa mga tao na ito ang iboto niyong candidates,” he said.

On the other hand, Cotabato Cardinal Orlando Quevedo urged the faithful not to base their choice of candidates on who are popular and winnable candidates only.

“Faithful of the Archdiocese, in your political choices, apply your moral and religious values. Do not be mesmerized by surveys and claims of change by any means,” he said in his Circular Letter on the 2016 Elections.

The Cardinal offered six pointers in selecting candidates based on the moral—social principles of the Church.

Quevedo said the public should select a candidate that is not tainted with corruption, unexplained wealth and enrichment in office.