Philippines bishop says church leaders have become 'social media martyrs'
A Catholic Bishop in the Philippines said church leaders and clergymen have become social media martyrs for speaking up on political issues, news reports say.
Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) President Socrates Villegas, who is archbishop for Lingayen and Dagupan in the Philippine island of Luzon, said church leaders have become internet "martyrs" whenever they speak up with regards to the country's political issues, ABS-CBN News reported.
"We bishops have become martyrs in social media," Villegas said while delivering his Easter message.
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Villegas says clergymen such as priests and bishops are either ignored or harassed by online "trolls" whenever they would dare speak up on the country's political issues. Villegas and many leaders in the Catholic church in the Philippines have repeatedly spoken out against the alleged extra-judicial killings (EJKs) that marred the country ever since Rodrigo Duterte assumed presidency in 2016.
"We are killed a thousand times; our trolls are in the thousands. When we speak they want us muted. When we oppose they want us maimed. When we stand for life, they want us dead," he said.
Swipes
Philippine president Duterte has repeatedly taken swipes at the Roman Catholic church.
In January, he delivered an expletive-filled tirade and cursed the Roman Catholic Church and its leaders, challenging them to "resign with him since both are guilty of wrongdoing," Rappler reported.
"I challenge all the bishops, let's resign at the same time, okay? I'll go first. I will deliver my letter of resignation on bended knees," he said in a mix of English and the local dialect.
Duterte at that time also brought up the alleged sexual abuse priests do to young men, something he claimed to have experienced as a high school student.
He also alleged that a clergyman, Novaliches Bishop Emeritus Teodoro Bacani, had two wives even when Catholic priests aren't allowed to marry - Bacani had earlier criticized Duterte's drug war campaign, calling it a "bringer of death," Rappler reported.
A letter from the CBCP released earlier and read in all Catholic church services in February denounced Mr. Duterte's campaign, calling it a "reign of terror in many places of the poor," Reuters reported. At the time of publication, more than 7,000 have been killed in Duterte's drug war, all of them merely "suspected" drug users and dealers, Human Rights Watch reported.
Take courage
Villegas, the CBCP President, encouraged the Catholic faithful to be courageous in the midst of the threats and harassment.
"The Church is under persecution. The signs are clear. The teachings of God on life and family are under attack," Villegas said as per ABS-CBN.
"Do not let evil intimidate you. Do not let their threats silence the priests and bishops. This is not the time for cowards. This is the ripe season for martyrs. This is a moment of glory," he said.
