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Bishops to assess Church’s influence in Philippine election

The assessment is expected to be an eye-opener about the reality of the Catholic Church in the Philippines
Supporters of Philippine presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. celebrate outside his campaign headquarters after his landslide presidential election victory, in Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, on May 11
Supporters of Philippine presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. celebrate outside his campaign headquarters after his landslide presidential election victory, in Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, on May 11. (Photo: AFP)
Published: July 07, 2022 10:23 AM GMT
Updated: July 07, 2022 11:08 AM GMT

A senior Catholic official has confirmed that Filipino bishops plan to assess the influence of the Church and its teachings in the recent polls that elected the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos' son and namesake as president of the Catholic-majority nation.

The poll result will be part of the agenda when more than 90 bishops gather July 9-11 for their plenary meeting, said Father Bernardo Pantin, the conference secretary-general.

“They [the bishops] will talk about and assess the 2022 presidential elections. They will discuss the results, of course, and how the bishops’ conference could cooperate with the new administration led by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.,” Father Pantin said in Radyo Veritas.

Ferdinand  Marcos, Jr. won a landslide victory against the Church-backed Vice President Leonor Robredo, with over 15 million votes.  Marcos had won 31 million votes or 16 million more than Robredo.

Hundreds of clergymen, including bishops, supported Robredo by wearing pink masks and forming groups that Catholic conservatives criticized as “meddling” or being “partisan” in politics.

“Our bishops will meet with the lay group to discuss or to talk about their experience in the recently held elections. Part of the discussion was the relevance of our clergymen in politics,” Father Pantin added.

He said the times had changed compared to the 1986 People Power Revolution that toppled the current president’s father, the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, Sr.

The late Cardinal Jaime Sin, archbishop of Manila, had called on millions of Filipinos to march along Epifanio de los Santos [EDSA] avenue to protest against Marcos’ dictatorship.

“Before the Catholic Church was very influential. People listen to the bishops and priests. But now, despite, many groups of clergymen and even bishops, people still voted for the candidate which clergymen did not endorse. This begs the question, are we still relevant today?,” Father Pantin asked.

Sorsogon priest Father Joem Afable likewise said that the bishops’ assessment should arrive at “solid and well-formed” conclusions on the influence of the Catholic Church in the everyday life of the Filipino people.

“Perhaps we’re becoming like Europe. We tend to separate our religious life from our civil life. We just wanted the Catholic Church to stay within its walls with priests celebrating the mass and the sacraments,” Father Afable told UCA News.

“We don’t want them to engage in politics anymore,” he said.

Father Afable also said the outcome of the assessment should be an eye-opener to both clergymen and the lay people about the reality of the Catholic Church in the Philippines.

“We need to be objective in our assessment. Despite many groups of clergymen endorsing the former Vice President, why was she left behind with more than 15 million votes? Are we ready to confront the answer to this question?” the clergyman added.

The Philippines has some 110 million people, 84 million of them Catholics.

Churchgoers likewise expected the bishops to come up with a collective statement to guide parishioners in the next elections.

“We hope they can come up with an objective assessment and let the public read the document. We also need to be informed of their assessment,” Manila parishioner James Cruz told UCA News.

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