CBCP head: It is ‘not appropriate’ for priests to carry firearms

Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles (Photo by CBCP News/PNA)

Despite the reported killings of the Catholic priests in the past few months, Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles on Monday, June 25, maintained it is not right for Catholic priests to bring firearms with them for self-protection.

Stressing that a priest is a “person who is configured to Christ” and “acts in the person of Christ,” Valles, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said in a statement, “It is simply not appropriate, to say the least, for a priest to carry firearms to protect himself.”

Valles noted that he is very aware of the day-to-day dangers to people’s lives, even citing the death of the three priests in recent months — Fr. Marcelito “Tito” Paez, Fr. Mark Ventura, and Fr. Richmond Nilo.

“Together with other reported killings, we are most disturbed and deeply saddened by the death of these priests. We have strongly condemned these killings,” he said.

“But still to me, it does not warrant at all that priests carry firearms,” he added.

The CPCP, Valles said, give its “trust and confidence” to the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other peace and order personnel in the government.

“We pray for them and challenge them to do their very best in this very difficult and demanding task of protecting all of us, including priests,” he said.

Even though no priest has asked him yet, Valles, as the Archbishop of Davao, said he “strongly discourage” his priests, as well as the clergy of Davao, to ask permission from the policemen to bring firearms. He then asked priests in other dioceses to discuss such matter with their bishops.

PNP chief, Director General Oscar Albayalde on Wednesday, June 20, revealed that his department received more the 200 requests from priests and other members of religious sector to allow them to carry firearms outside their residences.

Albayalde said there are 246 clergymen who have requested permits, where 188 of whom are priests and 58 are ministers, preachers, and pastors.

Caloocan Bishop Pablo David earlier called out those priests who would like to carry a gun to protect themselves, saying that they might want to reconsider to leave the priesthood and join the police or the military instead.