BISHOPS' MOVE: Archbishop Soc on Palatino’s bill: 'It is crazy’
MANILA, June 21, 2012— A ranking Catholic Church official has joined the fray against what he described as ‘a crazy’ proposed bill in Congress that seeks to ban prayer servicesand religious symbols in government offices.
Archbishop Socrates Villegas, vice president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, warned that the bill, if approved, would put the nation in peril.
“If we lose our soul as a nation, that’s real downfall. There’s separation of church and state but there is no such thing as separation of God and man,” said Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan.
“It’s crazy because if you know that every person has body and soul and if you separate the body from the soul, what do you create? A dead man. If you separate the soul of the nation from the nation, what do you have? A dead nation.”
“There is separation for Church and State but there is no separation of God and man. The Philippine Constitution itself invokes God Almighty,” he said.
The archbishop was referring to the House bill 6330 or the Religious Freedom in Government Offices Act, which seeks to ban religious activities including Masses, prayers, Christmas parties and blessings in government premises.
Filed by Kabataan party list Rep. Raymond Palatino, the measure also pushes for the removal of religious symbols like the crucifix, Bible, and Koran in public offices.
But Villegas expressed confidence many Filipinos will oppose the passage of the bill. “There are more God loving and God fearing Filipinos than him,” he said.
“Even before the Philippines existed, God was already here and God created the Philippines,” he said. “Let’s just see where he (Palatino) will go after this life.” [RL/CBCPNews]
MANILA, June 21, 2012— A ranking Catholic Church official has joined the fray against what he described as ‘a crazy’ proposed bill in Congress that seeks to ban prayer servicesand religious symbols in government offices.
Archbishop Socrates Villegas, vice president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, warned that the bill, if approved, would put the nation in peril.
“If we lose our soul as a nation, that’s real downfall. There’s separation of church and state but there is no such thing as separation of God and man,” said Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan.
“It’s crazy because if you know that every person has body and soul and if you separate the body from the soul, what do you create? A dead man. If you separate the soul of the nation from the nation, what do you have? A dead nation.”
“There is separation for Church and State but there is no separation of God and man. The Philippine Constitution itself invokes God Almighty,” he said.
The archbishop was referring to the House bill 6330 or the Religious Freedom in Government Offices Act, which seeks to ban religious activities including Masses, prayers, Christmas parties and blessings in government premises.
Filed by Kabataan party list Rep. Raymond Palatino, the measure also pushes for the removal of religious symbols like the crucifix, Bible, and Koran in public offices.
But Villegas expressed confidence many Filipinos will oppose the passage of the bill. “There are more God loving and God fearing Filipinos than him,” he said.
“Even before the Philippines existed, God was already here and God created the Philippines,” he said. “Let’s just see where he (Palatino) will go after this life.” [RL/CBCPNews]
![Photo: BISHOPS' MOVE: Archbishop Soc on Palatino’s bill: 'It is crazy’
MANILA, June 21, 2012— A ranking Catholic Church official has joined the fray against what he described as ‘a crazy’ proposed bill in Congress that seeks to ban prayer services and religious symbols in government offices.
Archbishop Socrates Villegas, vice president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, warned that the bill, if approved, would put the nation in peril.
“If we lose our soul as a nation, that’s real downfall. There’s separation of church and state but there is no such thing as separation of God and man,” said Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan.
“It’s crazy because if you know that every person has body and soul and if you separate the body from the soul, what do you create? A dead man. If you separate the soul of the nation from the nation, what do you have? A dead nation.”
“There is separation for Church and State but there is no separation of God and man. The Philippine Constitution itself invokes God Almighty,” he said.
The archbishop was referring to the House bill 6330 or the Religious Freedom in Government Offices Act, which seeks to ban religious activities including Masses, prayers, Christmas parties and blessings in government premises.
Filed by Kabataan party list Rep. Raymond Palatino, the measure also pushes for the removal of religious symbols like the crucifix, Bible, and Koran in public offices.
But Villegas expressed confidence many Filipinos will oppose the passage of the bill. “There are more God loving and God fearing Filipinos than him,” he said.
“Even before the Philippines existed, God was already here and God created the Philippines,” he said. “Let’s just see where he (Palatino) will go after this life.” [RL/CBCPNews]](https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/c108.0.403.403/p403x403/527783_432187473470431_1824393496_n.jpg)
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