“The Catholic Church is not for the faithful only, but for everyone. Our responsibility does not end by motivating people to follow God’s will, but will also accept them for what they are. We will not only listen to their concerns but also to view issues in every aspect.” Valles said in a statement. Meanwhile, below are 5 major changes in the CBCP to be expected under his leadership.
#1 The Catholic Church will do some ‘internal cleansing’
“We accept the fact that there are some abusive priests, and we will not tolerate them.” Valles added. And although he did not elaborate further, an insider from the CBCP told us here at Philippine News Courier that a new set of guidelines on how to monitor the activities of priests shall be implemented soon. And this time, investigations will be faster.
#2 Catholic Church to have a more transparent financial statement
Just like the Vatican, the Catholic Church also regularly releases its financial statement. This includes investments in private corporations, banks, and institutions, and well as ground tax exemptions. But starting 2018, the CBCP is expected to be more transparent so that even ordinary people will have a better understanding on where their donations go.
#3 CBCP will embrace the LGBT community
The Catholic Church is never expected to allow same-sex marriage. But under Valle’s leadership, it will “embrace” the LGBT community. This means that it will not condemn gays, lesbians and transgenders for their personal decisions. Instead, it will focus on their actions in the society, primarily as civic group leaders, health advocates, and politicians.
#4 CBCP will not mingle with politicians, including President Duterte
Starting today, the CBCP will not mingle with any politician, including President Rodrigo Duterte. As we all know, CBCP President Valles is a good friend of the Duterte family. However, he earlier said it is personal and not political. Valles vows not to bias against Duterte nor support him, but rather will be fair and balance in every social issue.
#5 Priests and nuns will not be allowed to join political rallies
Finally, priests and nuns will no longer be allowed to join political rallies. And although they will still enjoy their freedom of speech, they will only be allowed to join rallies as long as it is not against or supporting any politician, and will not go side by side with militant groups. If they have concerns on some social issues, they should focus only on the issue, nothing else.
Nevertheless, it should be noted that Archbishop Valles was the CBCP vice president before he was elected as president last July, together with Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David as his vice president. His term will end on November 30, 2019, but can be elected again for another 2 years. By tradition, incumbent CBCP officials serve two terms, or 4 years.
Contributed by Salvi Dalida
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