PRRD doesn’t feel alluded to by Pope Francis’ remark

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte skims through some documents while presiding over the 32nd Cabinet Meeting at the Malacañan Palace on December 12, 2018. SIMEON CELI JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA — Malacañang on Thursday said President Rodrigo R. Duterte does not feel alluded to by Pope Francis’ remark that critics of the Catholic Church are the “friends, cousins and relatives of the devil.”

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said that the pontiff himself found fault in the institution he serves, even earlier admitting that clerics have sexually abused nuns.

“One of the better critics of the Church is the Pope himself. He criticizes the members of the Church who are engaged in what he perceives to be immorality,” Panelo said in a Palace briefing.

Panelo, however, said that criticizing clerics actions outside the teachings of the Church did not mean that one is “evil” but simply expressing opposition or concern.

“When he addresses those members of the Church who could not be celibate to leave the Church, he is a critic,” Panelo said.

“But it does not mean also that when you criticize you are evil. You’re just expressing concern and opposition to certain irregular behavior,” he added.

Panelo said the Pope was using a hyperbole by describing critics as friends of the devil.

“If I will agree with that then the Pope will be referring to himself also because he is also a critic. Palagay ko ano lang iyon hyperbole (I think that’s just a hyperbole),” Panelo said.

On Wednesday, the Pope said that a person cannot live a whole life “accusing” Church.

His remark came a day before the Vatican summit on sex abuse of minors which will be attended by about 180 bishops and cardinals.