Bishops thank TV network for pulling out 'No Race, No Religion' Pope Francis shirts

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and the central organizing committee for Pope Francis' visit in January thanked television network ABS-CBN for pulling out its "No Race, No Religion" shirts from the market, a report on the Radio Veritas website said Friday.

 

"Nagpapasalamat tayo sa ngalan ng Simbahang Katolika sa ginawa ng ABS-CBN," Fr. Lito Jopson, executive secretary of CBCP's Episcopal Commission on Social Communication and Mass Media, said in an interview with Radio Veritas.

 

CBCP president and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas earlier said "the phrases 'No race no religion' are definitely misleading and quite frankly erroneous."

 

ABS-CBN apologized for the shirts that carried the message and pulled out the items from its online shop and retail partners. In the apology, the network's spokesperson Bong Osorio said the network had "no intent to deceive or mislead the public through the commemorative shirts that carry statements inspired by Pope Francis' message of love, openness, and humility."

 

'Mercy and compassion'

 

Meanwhile, Jopson said the production of souvenir items for the visit should bear the theme "Mercy and Compassion."

 

"Sana mag-focus tayo sa mga mensahe kung papaano natin mas palawakin ang pagpapakita ng habag at malasakit sa kapwa," he said.

 

For his part, Pasig Bishop Mylo Vergara, the media committee's chairman, said that papal visit memorabilia should be follow the context of the teachings of the pope.

 

"Sinasabi po natin na napakahalaga na makita natin na ang isyung ito ay isang oportunidad para lalong maipaliwanag kung ano ang ini-imprinta at captions sa t-shirts," said Vergasa. 

 

"Huwag po sana tayo basta mag-imprinta. Dapat iyong ating ini-imprinta ay nakakapagpahayag ng mabuting balita at hindi umaalis sa konteksto ng pangaral ng Santo Papa." — Rose-An Jessica Dioquino