WHY TO MY OPINION, THE CHURCH SHOULD BE MORE FORGIVING, MORE RESPECTFUL AND LESS CRITICAL TOWARDS DUTERTE… by Lynn Agno
After hearing the news about Manalo’s “Iglesia ni Cristo,” ” Jesus is Lord” Movement by Bro. Eddie Villanueva, “Kingdom of Jesus Christ” by Apollo Carreon Quiboloy all endorsing the candidacy of Duterte. It prompted me to asked why the head of the church particularly the CBCP chairman is so harsh & critical to the Mayor even after the Popes’ letter of forgiveness and a promise of prayers for the Mayor…. I am a Filipina, who lived 21 years in Italy, and like many Filipinos, I’m a Roman Catholic who’s very passionate about the Church, its Popes and their stories… This awareness and love of Popes made me decide to write this letter to give you some ideas that might remind and tell you about these two leaders who are apparently opposite from the outside but very similar in the inside. They have many things in common, affinity and similarities in their character and their attitude towards their work. I will try to enumerate some of these similarities:
First, The Holy Father does not like to delegate his job. He likes to do things for himself like preparing his luggage everytime he has trips. After his election to the papacy, he diminished the number of his servants in Vatican. Do you still remember when he visited the Philippines? The Reporters & Journalists have asked him why he doesn’t want someone to carry his bag for him? And he answered that he’s used to it and added that it’s him who’s preparing and packing all his things. And Duterte is the same. He’s not used to delegating his job. He personally handle his job even at the cost of putting his life in peril… He’s the first to dive in the water to save people from drowning, the first to give water and food to the hungry… Second, the Holy Father was called by “New York Times” as a very humble person. I want to tell you about an episode where his humility really stood out. It happened during his state visit to Korea. Upon his arrival to the city, he requested for a modest compact car in exchange for the usual luxurious presidential car and without the lavish formal luncheon with the highest ranks of the land, instead he will be eating alongside ordinary employees at the embassy. Like Pope, Duterte is not keen on staying with important persons … Can you still recall when he attended the businessmen forum in Makati recently where he admitted personally that he’s not at ease mingling with those rich, well-dressed people?
Third, they are both lovers of simplicity. The Pope when he was still a Cardinal of Buenos Aires. He was the first to give up luxury. He declined living in the “Bishop’s Palace.” Instead, he has chosen to live in a normal apartment doing his things alone like cooking and cleaning his apartment. He was famous for taking trains, buses, and other public transports. He was the first Archbishop to give up wearing velvets and regal fur in ceremonies and eschewed many of the luxuries afforded to senior prelates. Duterte is the same. We all knew he’s a very simple and approachable man. We all saw where he lives … A very humble abode like anybody else…The Holy Father like Duterte loves driving his old car, likes to use his usual old shoes and wearing his usual old clothes.
Fourth, both are famous for breaking protocols. I remember the Pope when he was in Manila when one night, he went out from his hotel room running away from his bodyguards just to see and meet people from different religious organizations. Another lovely episode along the street in Mexico where he ordered his chauffeur to stop and went inside a courtyard where women and children are partying. They were all incredulous to see the Pope in front of them. In proximity to the Vatican, it is a common scene to see this man dressed in white without his bodyguards, talking with ordinary & unknown people, eating spaghetti and meatballs laughing and having fun with them.
Another episode memorable episode of not following protocols was when in 2001 he surprised the staff of Muñiz Hospital in Buenos Aires, asking for a jar of water, which he used to wash the feet of 12 patients hospitalized with complications from the virus that causes AIDS. He then kissed their feet, telling reporters that ”society forgets the sick and the poor.” That was during the first Holy Thursday rituals. Even Duterte doesn’t like following protocols. Most of us knew that he likes going out at night with his taxi roaming around ensuring peace and order in the city. He likes riding in his big bike alone without bodyguards. I remember watching TV news of him stopping at a dark house in the middle of the night. It was Christmas Eve, so it was unusual for a house to be that dark and without any sign of partying or celebration. So he rushed out to see and found this family without any food on the table. Promptly he ordered to connect the electricity wires and procured sufficient food for the whole family to celebrate Christmas.
Fifth, they’re both known and remembered for being tough in criticizing hypocrisy…The Pope In his tough speech in Buenos Aires (Sept 2012), where he criticized church officers for hypocrisy because of their high standard of living and neglect of the infirm and the outcast. Upon his election as a Pope, he abolished the bonuses to Vatican employees because for him they’re receiving too much…This is also true with Duterte. In his career as a public servant and in his private life, he always leads a life free from falsehood and hypocrisy…
And lastly, their outspoken support for the poor and marginalized people. I will not enumerate to you the many works the Pope has done to the poor and the sick because they’re so many. I can only remind you of the fact that he was the first Pope to take the name “Francis”. Francis is a name no Pope ever had chosen, taken in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, a symbol of love for the poor and the sick. No doubt the mayor can’t be outdone for his love of the poor and marginalized. Duterte devoted most of his time and energy giving a solution to problems of the poor and the sick. He founded, created enumerable projects, institutions for the sick such as the “House of Hope” for children with cancer. Constructed a luxurious “Southern Medical Center” in Davao, “Davao’s drugs Rehab Center”, Women in Jail” and Child Minding Center” and etc …
These are the reasons why to my opinion, the Church should ponder and reflect… Affinities, similarities in character are remarkable and can’t be ignored and underestimated. I don’t necessarily say that the Church must sympathize nor endorse the mayor’s candidacy but at least be more forgiving, more respectful and less critical towards him.
In 2014 “Forbes Magazine” name the Pope World’s number one greatest leader, who knows in 2017 or 2018 he can be hailed as “Times” world’s greatest leader?
