President Duterte on Tuesday unleashed a new litany of attacks and accusations against the Catholic Church in an apparent response to Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle’s homily on Sunday about bullying.
“Nobody there goes to church anymore. That’s why…And the priest who… They always criticize me for being a bully. But what about the American priest who was assigned in Biliran? For how many years did he molest children? Kami, kami noon,” the President said in a speech at a summit of barangay officials in Davao City.
In his “Simbang Gabi” (early dawn mass leading to Christmas Day) homily, Tagle said: “Do not bully anyone. Do not use your power to disrespect others. Do not use your power to coerce others.” The prelate, however, did not refer to any name in his homily.
Duterte said the Catholics are the ones who pick fights with him first.
At one point in his speech, he alleged that there was a priest in Davao City who died of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
“These priests are sons of b******. A priest here in Davao City died. I’m calling the Church to find out his identity. All you have to do is to connect with your – who’s the most superior here? May pari kayo na namatay very early, HIV-AIDS. And the American priest assigned in Biliran who was a pedophile,” he said.
He also recalled his own experience with a priest who allegedly molested him and several other boys during his teenage days at the Jesuit-run Ateneo de Davao University.
“We were in first year. Father (Paul) Falvey. Who graduated from Ateneo here? Didn’t we hold a mass every Friday? We’d take the holy communion. But in the confession room, your eggplant is being milked a lot. And then you’ll get to the mass dazed and weak,” Duterte said.
He likewise lashed out on the Catholic Church’ practices of collecting money in some of its services like baptism and weddings.
“They keep on collecting from you. When you are baptized, they collect from you. When you get married, you have to pay to do this. You should give the money to your wife then. But instead, you gave it to the priest. T*** i**,” Duterte said.
Duterte last month also lambasted the bishops for believing in an “archaic” church that is only good at making money.
Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo of Manila said Duterte’s ranting “will have no effect.” (Roy C. Mabasa)