Davao archbishop elected CBCP president

MANILA, Philippines – Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles, who had advised President Duterte against cursing, has been elected president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

Valles will replace CBCP president and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, whose term will end on Nov. 30.

The Davao prelate was chosen during the CBCP’s 115th plenary assembly at the Pope Pious XII Catholic Center in Manila yesterday.

The election came two days before Valles’ 66th birthday tomorrow.

The result of the voting was expected as most of CBCP’s elections follow the rule of succession.

Valles is the current CBCP vice president.

A majority of the bishops expressed belief that Valles’ election would pave the way for a smoother relationship between the church and President Duterte.

Others, however, may look at Valles’ ties with the President as a hindrance to the CBCP’s assessment of the government’s performance.

The President and some prelates have figured in several disputes over issues on extrajudicial killings and the war against illegal drugs.

Valles has been heading the Archdiocese of Davao since February 2012. He is one of only a few bishops who could talk and give advice to Duterte.

Valles was the one who baptized Duterte’s youngest grandson, Marko Digong, son of presidential daughter Davao City Mayor Sarah Duterte-Carpio.

The President had reportedly admitted having been admonished by Valles for his habit of cursing and given a lecture on Christian values.

The admonition and lecture reportedly happened when Duterte promised to pay P1,000 for every expletive that he would utter. The fines would reportedly be given to Caritas Davao.

In the presence of Valles, Duterte last year expressed his apology to Pope Francis for cursing the pontiff in 2015.

Duterte was reportedly irritated with the traffic created by the pope’s visit in Metro Manila early that year.

Aside from Valles, the CBCP elected Caloocan Bishop Pablo David as vice president.

Archbishop John Du of Palo, Leyte kept is post as treasurer, as did Fr. Marvin Mejia and Fr. Bernardo Pantin as CBCP secretary general and assistant secretary general, respectively.

CBCP’s regional representatives for Luzon are Archbishop Marlo Peralta of Nueva Segovia and Bishops Ruperto Santos of Bataan; Reynaldo Evangelista of Imus, Cavite; Victor Ocampo of Gumaca, Quezon and Jose Rojas of Libmanan, Camarines Sur.

For the Visayas are Bishops Jose Advincula of Capiz and Isabelo Abarquez of Calbayog, Western Samar.

Ozamiz Bishop Martin Jumoad and Zamboanga Archbishop Romulo dela Cruz will represent Mindanao.

Meanwhile, Villegas told Valles that he would inherit the problems and challenges being faced by the Church and that pastoral action should be taken on extrajudicial killings related to the campaign against illegal drugs.

In a speech delivered during the 115th plenary assembly, Villegas thanked the bishops and mentioned several situations that, according to him, require pastoral guidance.

Among these situations, he said, are the effects of the 2016 elections, extrajudicial killings, need for ethical standards for social media and political engagement, the need to update the priestly formation program and questions about martial law.

“The lost peace in Marawi and the cold hearts of so many, the blood thirst that is spreading and indifference that is creeping, the confusion that is spreading and violence that is becoming the new normal – these situations need the Gospel. Our duty is to follow the Lord so we can lead His people,” Villegas said.

He said the last four years of his term as CBCP chief made him more open-minded, stronger in his resolve and generous.

“We have been labeled as a bunch of hypocrites. We have been calumniated and slandered. We have been cursed and ridiculed but you our shepherds have chosen to fly high when the mockers of the Church chose to go so low.”

Villegas said during his first months as CBCP president, one of the first programs of the conference was to help their brother-bishops in Capiz, Bohol, Samar and Leyte whose dioceses were devastated by a powerful earthquake and floods.

The CBCP supervised the repair of five churches in Borongan, one in Calbayog, 12 in Capiz, 19 in Palo and three in Tagbilaran.

“Every dollar we received we used exclusively for the repair of the churches. I saw the incredible generosity of our American counterparts in rebuilding not just the churches but rekindling the faith of those who suffer and assuring us that they share our travails. Bukas-palad is not just a Filipino trait. It is universal because it is from God,” Villegas said.

“Indeed one of the best symbols of our faith is the open hands that give because giving is the best proof of loving. Closed fists do not love… they hurt. Closed fists do not touch… they strike and injure. Closed fists and prayer do not match… open hands belong to our Christian tradition. We have no tradition of closed fists for our mission is to imitate the crucified hands that remain open to forgive,” he said. – With Edith Regalado