CBCP seeks prayers for bishops in sedition case

MANILA, Philippines — The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) is appealing to the faithful to storm the gates of heaven with prayers a few weeks before the preliminary investigation of the sedition case filed against four bishops who were implicated in the “Ang Totoong Narco-list” videos that linked President Duterte’s relatives in the illegal drug trade.

CBCP president and Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles appealed to the public to join them in praying for Archbishop Socrates Villegas, Bishops Pabillo Virgilio David, Teodoro Bacani Jr. and Honesto Ongtioco who are facing “difficult days ahead.” 

Villegas, David, Bacani and Ongtioco are facing sedition charges along with Vice President Leni Robredo and several opposition candidates in the 2019 polls and priests due to their alleged involvement in the propaganda videos against President Duterte. 

The four bishops are set to appear for the preliminary investigation before the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday. 

Before Valles’ appeal, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle asked all the priests and the faithful in the Archdiocese of Manila to offer masses and prayers starting today for the bishops and priests who fall prey to persecution and false accusations. 

“My invitation and my appeal to all of you, brother archbishops and bishops in the whole country – let us be in solidarity with them in prayer. Let us invite our priests, our religious, our people to join us in this solidarity in prayer,” Valles said. 

Valles said that the faithful, priests and the bishops should remember Villegas, David, Bacani and Ongtioco in the masses during the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord on Aug. 4 and on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Aug. 15. 

He also asked the Church and the public to include government officials in their prayers, “that a deep sense of fairness, justice and truth will guide them.”