IN THE DEFENSE OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

By Bayawanon

The present national leadership of the Philippines keep on hitting the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy of the Philippines for having consistently questioned the Philippine government on its domestic policy regarding the WAR ON DRUGS, and the current Supreme National Leader is taking personally the criticisms of the clergy regarding this issue by also throwing personal issues against some high ranking priests in the country and by trying to degrade the Catholic Church to the public. The president must slow down in this regard since the Catholic clergy have the right to check the government on this issue on the ground that they are also citizens of the country, hence they have the right to question the government when they feel like the state is not on the right track already.

It is true that there is a constitutional provision which provides for the separation of the Church and the State but it is NOT ABSOLUTE. The Separation of Church and State Doctrine is only limited to the fact that the church does not have a role in the formulation of state policies and that funds of the state cannot be used for any religious purpose, the Roman Catholic Church has also a rule prohibiting the clergymen in running for public office not until they resign from their religious duties but these factors do not mean that the Roman Catholic clerics cannot question the government when the same becomes misguided because they have the right to do so as citizens of the country and also by virtue of the VATICAN COUNCIL II.

The Vatican Council II was a council of reform empowering the priests, bishops and laities to be more proactive and to face all forces and problems of the community if needed. Now, there is a necessity from the Roman Catholic faith if the other sects and denominations won't and that is to defend one of the TEN COMMANDMENTS that says ... THOU SHALT NOT KILL. The WAR ON DRUGS is a good program of the government and I believe the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines supports this program not until its PRO-LIFE stance is and would be violated.

In connection to this, the government must give a chance to the drug addicts and pushers who would like to change by rehabilitating them and not by exterminating them. Most of the SAINTS were sinners but they were given by GOD a CHANCE to CHANGE, their stories would not have been the same if our God is not a forgiving God, their stories would not have been told if God is not a God of love and forgiveness.

Lastly, I am challenging and encouraging the government to personify Christ within its ambit. Let our government be a government of laws and not of men, and let it be a government of love and compassion and not be an instrument of hate and death. Amen