A million Dutertes can’t destroy the Catholic Church —bishops 

Attempts to destroy the Catholic Church in the past 2,000 years by her adversaries all failed and even a million Rodrigo Dutertes would surely suffer the same fate, bishops said Saturday.

Reacting to President Rodrigo Duterte's incessant reproach to the Church, Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes on Church-run Radyo Veritas said Saturday that the Lord Jesus had made an assurance that even the "gates of hell" would fail to destroy her. 

“The Lord Jesus said to Peter that not even the gates of hell can destroy the Church. Napoleon thought he could destroy it but failed! A million of Duterte’s will never succeed in harming it. Everything will be passé but the Church will give way only to the dawning of God's Kingdom, whose image on earth is the Catholic Church,” Bishop Bastes said on Radyo Veritas.

For his part, Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles said of Duterte's chastisements: “That is his wish. Many others before wished and tried vehemently to put an end to the Church. They never succeed these two thousand years.” 

Also on Radyo Veritas, Arguelles and Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David said that instead of weakening, attacks on the Church would only make her strong.

“Attacks from outside never weaken but further strengthen the church. Weakness (immorality, sensuality, infidelity, materialism) especially of its leaders enfeebles the Church but can never end it, because while the members if Christ struggle so much against human weakness Christ Himself is God,” Arguelles said.

Passé in 30 years?

Duterte last Thursday said that the Catholic Church will be passé in 30 years due to the abuses of the clergy. 

"A lot of people have said the same thing many centuries ago. Some have even tried to destroy the Catholic Church. Well, it appears that not even the sins and weaknesses of its own members could destroy the Church (so far) ... She is like a mustard seed, or a little lamp in the dark, or a pinch of salt in a pot of stew, or a little leaven in a mass of dough. She remains in existence, not because of us, or perhaps even in spite of us. Only Jesus Christ keeps the Church alive. I mean to say that in all humility,” David said.

At the oath-taking of government officials in Malacañang, Duterte called the media and the Church "oligarchs" of society, and that the Church would likely only last for 30 years. —LBG, GMA Nnews