Outspoken Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is to curb his tirades against the Catholic Church after agreeing to a moratorium on statements deriding priests and bishops.
Ucanews.com reported the presidential palace announced the president’s decision after a 30-minute meeting on 9th July between Duterte and Archbishop Romulo Valles of Davao, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
The president has drawn flak from Catholics for calling God “stupid” in a speech and for spewing diatribes against Catholic bishops and priests in recent months.
A day after the meeting, however, Harry Roque, the president’s spokesman, said Duterte wanted Church leaders to stop criticising his administration, ucanews.com reported.
“Given there is separation of Church and state, (Church leaders) should not use the pulpit to criticise his administration,” said Roque, quoting the president.
