Filipino archbishop chastises cafeteria Catholics, urges readiness to suffer for faith
April 19, 2017
The president of the Filipino bishops’ conference criticized Catholics who reject Church moral teachings, in his Easter message.
Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan said: “How many of our Catholics openly and blatantly declare, ‘I am a Catholic, but I agree that drug addicts must be killed; they are useless. I am a Catholic but I am pro-death penalty.” The archbishop lamented that it has become “fashionable” to ignore the leadership of Catholic bishops on key moral issues facing the country.
Archbishop Villegas said that the country’s bishops “have become martyrs in social media.” He said: “When we speak, they want us muted. When we oppose, they want us maimed. When we stand for life, they want us dead.”
The archbishop exhorted his people to reject this attitude. “Go to jail for the sake of the Gospel,” he said. “Be ready to be killed for the sake of our faith.”
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