His Excellency Archbishop Romulo Valles of Davao, the new President of Catholic Bishops Conference of Philippines (CBCP), conveyed that he is committed to an open dialogue with the government of President Rodrigo Duterte. His Grace Archbishop Romulo highlighted that the communication lines are open and also emphasized that unlike political parties, the CBCP decides on a matter of consensus, where Bishops themselves submit possible issues to be discussed during their plenary assemblies.
As reported by vaticannews.com, His Excellency Archbishop Romulo remarked that “The Church’s approach to various issues will always be weighed against Gospel values. No matter, how the government proposes their critique, our standpoint is we come from the viewpoint of the Gospel and the teachings of the Church. We will continue to engage the government.” Further, Hs Grace added, “While the bishops share “bright ideas” for discussion, there are major plans of action that are, more or less, universally recognized.”
His Excellency Archbishop Romulo concluded his remarks by emphasizing that the CBCP should focus on the laity, integrating the Catholic faithful who are not members of the Church-based organizations into the Basic Ecclesial Communities, where they can play a more active role in the Church.
