Aquino slams Philippines church
Remarks on 2nd day of pope visit draw ire
MANILA: President Benigno S Aquino III, who has battled Roman Catholic leaders in the Philippines for much of his administration, said after meeting with Pope Francis yesterday that church officials had been overly critical of him and silent about the abuses of past political leaders.
Mr Aquino made his comments, which critics quickly denounced as inappropriate, on the second day of the pope’s visit to the Philippines, where he has been received with great fanfare.
“There was a true test of faith when many members of the church, once advocates for the poor, the marginalised and the helpless, suddenly became silent in the face of the previous administration’s abuses, which we are still trying to rectify to this very day,” Mr Aquino said at the presidential palace here as Pope Francis looked in a sombre manner.
“In these attempts at correcting the wrongs of the past, one would think that the church would be our natural ally.”
He continued: “In contrast to their previous silence, some members of the clergy now seem to think that the way to be true to the faith means finding something to criticise, even to the extent that one prelate admonished me to do something about my hair, as if it were a mortal sin.”
Mr Aquino was referring to a remark made in 2012 by an archbishop, Ramon Arguelles, who said that the balding president “should wear a wig”.
Mr Aquino has had a contentious relationship with the Catholic Church in the Philippines, primarily over the passage of a law that would provide free birth control devices to women. The church opposes some forms of birth control being provided under the law.
His administration has aggressively investigated his predecessor, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who was a close ally of the church and a supporter of the clergy’s efforts to block the contraception bill. Ms Arroyo was arrested in 2011 and charged with election fraud, and she was later indicted on suspicion of misusing more than US$8 million (261 million baht) in government lottery proceeds. Many other officials of her administration have been implicated in corruption scandals.
Critics of Mr Aquino reacted swiftly to his comments, with some saying that they were inappropriate for a visit intended to welcome the pope.
“Mr Aquino used the event to discuss his issues with the church,” said Renato Reyes Jr, secretary-general of Bayan, a leftleaning organisation. “Unable to rise above his own concerns, he turned the event into a gripe session even as he conveniently omitted the exclusion and inequality pervading the country under his watch.”
In a statement delivered before Mr Aquino made his comments, Pope Francis urged an audience of senior political leaders “to reject every form of corruption, which diverts resources from the poor, and to make concerted efforts to ensure the inclusion of every man and woman and child”.
“It is now, more than ever, necessary that political leaders be outstanding for honesty, integrity and commitment to the common good,” he added.
In his remarks, Mr Aquino praised past Catholic Church leaders in the Philippines who were instrumental in the overthrow of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos. He called Pope Francis a “unifying and revitalising voice” in the church.
The pope is on a five-day visit to the Philippines, the country with Asia’s largest Catholic population. He has been welcomed with great enthusiasm, with thousands lining streets to catch a glimpse of him as he passes by.
Today the pope is scheduled to fly to Leyte, a central Philippine island that was devastated by Typhoon Haiyan in November 2013. Tomorrow he is to celebrate a public Mass in Manila that officials say may draw more than 5 million people.