MANILA, Philippines — Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle yesterday told the faithful not to give their votes to candidates who are selfish and greedy.
“With the upcoming election, we hope that the Walk for Life would become a walk to have in our society a womb where the people, the community, the leaders would all share – sharing hand and there would be no hands that are greedy,” Tagle said in his homily during the 3rd Walk For Life at the Quezon Memorial Circle.
Tagle added that the faithful should not support the candidacy of those who, if they are elected, would first think of themselves before the people they serve.
For his part, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-Episcopal Commission on the Laity chairman Bishop Broderick Pabillo asked the public not vote for candidates who have no convictions to fight for life and for the truth.
Pabillo told the faithful not to support candidates who promote the passage of bills such as death penalty, divorce and lowering the age of criminal responsibility.
“The public should avoid candidates who have no conviction and would just do what other people tell them to do and do not want to stand for the truth in life,” said Pabillo.
“Let us not (lean toward) idolatry, that we would make an idol of a person even if the one we are following is wrong,” he added.
Meanwhile, Pabillo said President Duterte should not take it against prelates who speak out because they are only criticizing the administration’s policies and not the administration itself.
“What we are criticizing is not his administration but some policies of his administration that are wrong. We have to use our religious authority, precisely to teach people what is right and wrong,” Pabillo added.
“We are not criticizing (Duterte), but what he is doing,” the bishop said.
Walk of Life events were held simultaneously yesterday in Tarlac, Pangasinan, Cebu, Leyte and Misamis Oriental.