Philippine Bishops and the Vatican

[HagiaSophia]

The refusal by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference to join calls for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was the result of an admonition by the Vatican, which told them to stop meddling in politics.

The International Herald Tribune reports that the Vatican’s reprimand, which stopped the bishops from asking Arroyo to resign, was first reported by the Manila newsmagazine Newsbreak and was independently confirmed yesterday by several bishops, who declined to be named because of the secretive nature of their deliberations.

cathnews.com/news/507/61.php

 

[David_Paul]

Unfamiliar with the situation. I see the Revolutionary Patriotic Alliance (RAM) wants her to quit. Are the Bishops Liberation theology types? Or did Arroyo do something serious enough that she should go?

 

[HagiaSophia]

David_Paul:

Unfamiliar with the situation. I see the Revolutionary Patriotic Alliance (RAM) wants her to quit. Are the Bishops Liberation theology types? Or did Arroyo do something serious enough that she should go?

Had the bishops come out calling for her to resign, there was little doubt that she would have had to-- it would have been the final straw.

I think the Pope felt that it was not in the authority of the bishops to ensure her down fall as the country is itself divided and should there have been fighting in the streets, I don’t think he wanted the bishops to inherit the title of “straw which broke the camel’s back”.

 

[Fidei_Defensor]

David_Paul:

Are the Bishops Liberation theology types? Or did Arroyo do something serious enough that she should go?

Some are Liberation Theology supporters, but by no means the majority. As of now, Arroyo is simply a target for accusations; there’s nothing definitive in the charges yet. Every Philippine president in recent times has been asked to resign due to large opposition factions, it’s nothing unusual, really.

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

HagiaSophia:

The refusal by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference to join calls for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was the result of an admonition by the Vatican, which told them to stop meddling in politics.

Doesn’t the Kerry affair count as meddling in politics ? ​

One person’s episopal meddling, is another’s episcopal defence of Catholic teaching.

ISTM that there is an insoluble dilemma here - like the dilemmata about whether to attack sovereign states with atrocious human rights records, or not.

Politics is too important to be entrusted to the bishops. ##

The International Herald Tribune reports that the Vatican’s reprimand, which stopped the bishops from asking Arroyo to resign, was first reported by the Manila newsmagazine Newsbreak and was independently confirmed yesterday by several bishops, who declined to be named because of the secretive nature of their deliberations.

cathnews.com/news/507/61.php

 

[HagiaSophia]

## Doesn’t the Kerry affair count as meddling in politics ?

No, it counted more as making clear which bishops are shepherds and which were in “retirement while still on duty”
Gottle of Geer:

One person’s episopal meddling, is another’s episcopal defence of Catholic teaching.

Frankly I don’t get your point. No one asked the bishops of the US to make any statement whatsoever about Kerry’s nomination, his running or his other antics. What Catholics objected to was his parading of the Catholic faith for political purposes when it turned out he practiced his own brand of theology; what further enraged many was that he avoided his own bishop, sought out the head of the NCCB (who IMO should have been otherwise gainfully employed elsewhere), and the head of the NCCB and the VP than buried the instruction from the CDF which was meant for all the bishops to consider in administrating the Sacrament of Eucharist to politicians who publicly support a very odd variety of things and call themelves “practicing Catholics”. this compounded by the very weak voting “guide” which totally blurred the priorities of life issues with everything else they could include with it just looked like partisan politics trying to get Kerry elected by die hard bishops who vote Democratic.

The situation in the Phillippines is quite different. The unrest there is due to charges that the President stole the election by dishonest means, a fact which she herself addressed and promised to do somewhat better – naturally half want her to go and half want her to stay. It seemed that the Vatican thought it unwise and imprudent for the bishops to publcly ensure that the President be forced out of office as it is purely a secular matter concerning election results. (Frankly if the rumors circulating are correct, it’s going to happen shortly anyway) So why involve the bishops in it?