President Duterte’s letter to Pope Francis a ‘diplomatic move’, says Catholic priest

President Duterte’s letter to Pope Francis a ‘diplomatic move’, says Catholic priest (PCOO photo)

MANILA—A Catholic priest said that President Rodrigo Duterte is being “diplomatic” when he wrote a letter to Pope Francis.

“He is being diplomatic,” said Fr. Jerome Secillano, parish priest at the Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro Parish in Sampaloc, Manila.

The Manila priest added, “He wishes to assure the Pope that his tirades against priests and bishops in the country should not to be misconstrued as cutting off that special relations with the Vatican.”

Secillano believed that despite the unpredictable relationship between the church and the government, what was written on the letter guarantees that the correlation will not be affected.

“While the relationship between the local church and the government seems to be testy, the President guarrantees that this won’t affect the esteem he has for the Pontiff and the diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the Vatican,” he explained.

Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) Secretary Jesus Dureza personally handed over the letter to the Holy Father on Thursday.

“Our countrymen remember Your Holiness’ apostolic visit in 2015 with deep appreciation, knowing that it was made with the most sincere regard for the welfare of the Church’s flock,” part of the letter reads, which was posted on OPAPP’s Twitter page.

The Catholic Church in the country has repeatedly expressed opposition to some policies being pushed by the government such as the reimposition of the death penalty, and the promotion of contraceptives among others.

During the May 2016 campaign period, Duterte got the ire of the public especially the Catholics over his controversial remarks on the traffic jams caused by the 2015 papal visit in Manila.

But, he later clarified that the cussing was not directed at the pope.