The president shocked many in Asia's largest Catholic country last week by describing God as "stupid."

The next day, he said that he was not talking about his God and was instead insulting the God of his critics.

"Mine has a lot of common sense," the president said.

Duterte says he would meet the church and other religious groups in talks to defuse the affront.

Through his spokesman, the president says he realises he needs to mend bridges with the church.

His spokesman will hold a seat on a committee created to communicate better with the church.

"The President thought to open the dialogue because there is only one society served by both the government and the church," he says.

His offence came last week in a speech.

He criticised the Bible's creation story. He said, "Adam ate (the apple), then malice was born. Who is this stupid God?" he asked, according to Philippine state media.

Catholic outrage

There was widespread outrage in the devout, majority-Catholic nation.

Government officials defended the speech. They said it was Duterte's "personal belief."

Finally, CNN Philippines says the president said, "Your God is stupid. Mine has a lot of common sense."

His spokesman suggested that Duterte's claims that a priest molested him as a high schooler may have motivated his remarks.

Archbishop Socrates Villegas rebuked Duterte but called for prayers for him.

"He must have received so much rejection and hurts in the past that he blurts out so much hatred and angst now."

Lawmakers also criticized Duterte.

One senator who has defended Duterte in the past said given a choice between following the president and God, there was no choice. "May my God forgive him and make him atone for all his sins."

Sources:

• Asia News
• CNN

Image: Asia News

Addressing a summit in Davao City last Friday, the president began by saying that he found it foolish for God to create something "perfect" and then allow the first humans, Adam and Eve, to ruin it by bringing sin into existence because of the forbidden fruit.

He continued: "That son of a bitch is stupid if that's the case."

"That was your mother and father's deed," Duterte said, adding "you weren't born yet, but now you have original sin. What kind of religion is that? I can't accept it."

Duterte claimed however that he does believe in a "universal mind."

"I believe there is a universal mind. But [to] what extent is the influence of the — I cannot picture him as a human being […] But I really believe, I have this faith and abiding thing about — but don't believe in religion," he stated.

Duterte's comments about God come in the wake of the recent killing of three priests in the Philippines.

Three days prior to these comments Duterte had responded to critics and claimed he respects the Catholic Church.

He denied persecuting priests, saying that his administration "does not have a policy against priests" and he could not order the killing of church leaders.

"As a matter of fact, I respect the church," the president said in a speech in Iloilo province on June 20. "The truth is, I cannot order the killing of priests, women and children."

He then went on to talk about priests having sexual relations with women. He said some ended up baptising their own children.

In May, Duterte claimed that slain Catholic priest Mark Anthony Ventura had romantic relations with eight women.

Source

• indianexpress.com
• sputniknews.com
• www.ucanews.com
• Image: gmanetwork.com

They called on President Rodrigo Duterte "to stop the verbal persecution of the Catholic Church because such attacks can wittingly embolden more crimes against priests."

The church leaders have declared June 18, the ninth day after the murder of Fr. Richmond Nilo, a Day of Reparation.

During the Day of Reparation, all the masses in the archdiocese will be offered as reparation for "the murders that continue without relent."

All parish church bells will be rung for fifteen minutes at 6pm "to commemorate the time when Father Richmond Nilo was killed", after which the Day of Reparation would be closed with a procession.

Father Richmond Nilo was shot dead on Sunday, June 10, as he was preparing to celebrate Mass.

He was the 3rd Catholic priest killed since December 2017.

In their statement, the church leaders made a passionate appeal to stop the officially sanctioned killing spree that has engulfed the Philippines.

"They are killing our flock. They are killing us the shepherds. They are killing our faith. They are cursing our Church. They are killing God again as they did in Calvary.

"Killing is the solution. Killing is the language. Killing is the way. Killing is the answer. Killing is encouraged. Killing is their job. Killers are rewarded. Killers boast of their murders.

"They kill in the streets. They kill inside homes. They kill in tricycles and jeeps. They kill in plazas. They kill in the malls. They kill in the chapels. The nation is a killing field. They kill everywhere. They are happy to kill. But we are not a nation of killers."

Source

• rappler.com
• gmanetwork.com
• Image: news.abs-cbn.com

That activism builds on a grand history, from popes defying emperors and kings in the Middle Ages, to modern examples such as clergy in Poland joining the Catholic population in rising up against the Communist system, as well as the vast Catholic mobilization in the Philippines to overthrow the corrupt regime of Ferdinand Marcos.

In recent days, examples from around the world suggest that this tradition of political engagement is alive and well.

The Philippines and the war on drugs

The Filipino House of Representatives on March 10 approved a bill which, if endorsed by the Senate, would reimpose the death penalty for drug-related crimes, among others. Reinstating the death penalty was one of President Rodrigo Duterte's major campaign promises.

On Wednesday, several key Filipino lawmakers were expelled by the House leadership after voting against the restoration of the death penalty.

According to local reports, Duterte's "war on drugs" and extra-judicial killings have generated thousand of casualties since last July, and he's promised to execute "five or six" criminals per day once the death penalty is reintroduced.

If passed by the Senate and signed by the president, death will be carried out by hanging, firing squad or lethal injection for selling, trading and transporting drugs. Possessing drugs would lead to life imprisonment.

The Catholic bishops are having none of it, calling on the faithful to oppose the bill in any way possible. For instance, Bishop Joel Baylon of the Diocese of Legazpi called on the youth to take to social media.

"Use your capacity to post on social media against extra-judicial killings, the death penalty, and be online missionaries of God," Baylon said addressing them during the 8th Diocesan Youth Way of the Cross at Kawa-Kawa Hill in Ligao City, Albay on Saturday. Continue reading

Sources

• Crux article by Inés San Martín, an Argentinean journalist who covers the Vatican in Rome for Crux.
• Image: Pinoy News Today