‘“What becomes now of clerics who pushed for these candidates? Will we hold them accountable for being complicit with such candidates?”’
IN a freewheeling talk with US cardinals and bishops, Pope Francis said their job is to keep a distance from partisan politics and help their faithful discern based on values. The Pope’s exact words were, “Teach your people discernment by you stepping back from the sheer politics of it.”
The papal position is echoed by Fr. Jerome Secillano, spokesperson of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) who cautioned clerics against making public endorsements because if they do so, “they run the risk of being partisan.”
These heads-up have become relevant in the wake of the current trend among priests, nuns and other religious people to become vocal and explicit in supporting candidates in the current campaign for national and local elections.
Due to the nature of their job, spokespersons of organizations are wont to errors in their public pronouncements, and Secillano is no exception. This time, however, the CBCP spox has hit the nail exactly in the head.
Secillano pointed out that the candidates being endorsed by the clerics may support or implement policies that later on defy the values that the Church embodies. This is the reality.
“What becomes now of clerics who pushed for these candidates? Will we hold them accountable for being complicit with such candidates?” he said.
This priest understands that the true nature of politics is division, as most often, two or more contending forces are at play in politics. Secillano said partisanship implies division, but clerics are supposed to be sources of unity in the community.
Secillano said: “We force on them not the candidates but the values and platforms that are in accord with Church teachings, specifically the Catholic Social Teachings and Gospel values.”
The admonitions made by Pope Francis and the CBCP should henceforth guide the local clergy in their forays into Philippine politics.
