CEBU CITY, Philippines鈥擳here is no substitute for peace.
Hoping to bridge the gap between Catholic Church bishops and the new administration, Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal last Wednesday visited President Rodrigo Duterte in what the prelate considered a worthwhile encounter with the country鈥檚 Chief Executive.
Sitting on a wheelchair and accompanied by his nurse, Vidal, 85, paid a courtesy call on the President in Malaca帽ang that lasted for almost three hours and ended with an assurance of the Church鈥檚 prayers for Duterte.
They didn鈥檛 discuss about controversial issues like extrajudicial killings and the possible revival of the death penalty that clashes with the Church鈥檚 doctrines.
But the country鈥檚 most senior cardinal said it was enough to establish a good rapport between the Catholic Church and the new President.
鈥淚 opened the door of communication with his government,鈥� he said in an interview in his retirement house inside the Sto. Ni帽o Village in Barangay Banilad, Cebu City on Friday.
Duterte earlier criticized the Catholic Church and the bishops for the supposed sins committed by the clergy. On one occasion, he described the Catholic Church as the 鈥渕ost hypocritical institution鈥� and lambasted the bishops for supposedly attempting to convince the electorate not to vote for him in the recent general polls.
READ: Duterte slams Church as hypocritical institution
But Vidal said there was no tension when he met with Duterte.
When he arrived in the Music Room of Malaca帽ang, the cardinal said Duterte bowed his head and kissed his hand.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want him to kiss my hand. Sabi ko sa kanya 鈥楢ko ang dapat mag-mano sa inyo kasi po kayo ang presidente namin.鈥� Pero sabi nya 鈥楬indi! Mas mataas ka sa akin sapagkat kayo ay cardinal. Ako ay presidente for six years lamang. Kayo sa isang cardinal,鈥� Vidal narrated.
(I told him 鈥業 should be the one to kiss your hand because you are the President. But he told me 鈥楴o! You are higher than me in rank because you鈥檙e a cardinal. I鈥檓 the President of this country for just six years, while your are a cardinal forever).
Vidal said Duterte was pleased when he heard him speak Cebuano.
鈥淧agsalubong ko sa kanya, sabi ko 鈥楳aayong gabii, Ginoong Presidente.鈥� At sabi nya 鈥極y, di ba ikaw ay isang Tagalog, marunong pala kayong magbisaya.
And I told him, ako ay nasa Cebu ngayon. At natuwa siya. (When I met him, I greeted him 鈥楪ood evening, Mr. President.鈥� And he said 鈥楧on鈥檛 you speak Tagalog? Why do you know how to speak Bisaya? And I told him, I鈥檝e been based in Cebu for sometime),鈥� he said.
Vidal, a native of Mogpog in Marinduque, served as archbishop of Cebu for 29 years before he retired in 2011.
He attended the three-day assembly of the Catholic Bishops鈥� Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) in Manila over the weekend before he dropped by Malaca帽ang.
Vidal said he first visited Vice President Ma. Leonor 鈥淟eni鈥� Robredo whom he described as a 鈥渧ery gracious and happy lady.鈥�
The cardinal went on to speak with Duterte who he said is 鈥渧ery simple and humble man.鈥�
鈥淗e (President Duterte) was very relaxed when I visited him. In fact, he was just wearing slippers inside Malaca帽ang. I tell you, he鈥檚 very, very much simple; a humble man. He鈥檚 easy to talk with, and you won鈥檛 be afraid to approach him,鈥� Vidal said.
During their conversation, Vidal and Duterte exchanged jokes and spoke about their respective origins.
Had Duterte talked about his plans which the Catholic Church had opposed, Vidal said he would have said his piece to the President.
READ: CBCP reply to Duterte attacks expected today
鈥淏ut we didn鈥檛 talk of any of his policies because it was just a courtesy call. And he didn鈥檛 open any problem. Hindi` na ako nakialam. Gusto ko lang siya makita kasi nakagalit niya ang mga obispo eh. (I just want to see him because he had a spat with the bishops),鈥� the cardinal said.
Although they met on some occasions in the past, Vidal said it was the first time he met and spoke with Duterte since the latter assumed the presidency last June 30.
Vidal said it would be better for the bishops not to exchange barbs with Duterte because it might not be good for the country and the Catholic Church.
鈥淲e need to have a good relationship with each other. That鈥檚 precisely the reason why CBCP didn鈥檛 make any statement after the plenary assembly,鈥� the cardinal said.
Vidal said he assured Duterte of his and the Catholic Church鈥檚 prayers during his six-year tenure.
鈥淭he President told me that he needs our prayers very much because it鈥檚 definitely not easy to be President of this country because there are many work to do and problems to address,鈥� he said.
鈥淪abi ko huwag po kayong mag-alala at kayo ay ipinagdadasal namin. (I told him not to worry for we are all praying for him),鈥� he added.
Vidal said he strongly supports Duterte鈥檚 campaign against illegal drugs which have been a menace to society.
鈥淔amilies are broken and the future of young people are destroyed because of illegal drugs. This has to stop,鈥� the cardinal said.
However, as the Catholic Church repeatedly upholds, Vidal believed solving the problem of illegal drugs should be done in the legal and moral way and that no shortcuts should be made. RAM/rga