SW News: The Church cannot proclaim the kingship of Jesus if it is a mute spectator to godless politics, warns a senior prelate in the Philippines. During his homily on the feast of Christ the King on November 21, Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen Dagupan exhorted priests to publicly denounce social evils such as poverty, corruption and nepotism.

Archbishop Socrates, who was the former head of the national bishops’ conference, is a critic of President Rodrigo Duterte and has publicly denounced his war against drugs that has claimed the lives of more than 30,000 people. It is the duty of priests to speak against evil when nationalism and the truth are compromised in the country. He compared the peddling of lies and nepotism of politicians to attacks on the kingship of Jesus.

Clergymen can voice support for politicians and should speak out against social sins like poverty and graft and corruption, especially when the ignorant and the poor are exploited by politicians, according to a senior Catholic churchman in the Philippines.

The prelate said he supports the separation of state and the Church. But he warned that there should be no separation between God and man. By removing God from politics, leaders drift towards wickedness that affects people ultimately, he said. Archbishop Socrates also took a swipe at government officials who try to stifle the Church through intimidation.

He stressed that if Christianity is removed from politics then wickedness will rule the roost.