Duterte claims Tagle angered Pope Francis for meddling in politics

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday claimed that Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle was removed by Pope Francis from his position as Manila archbishop for allegedly interfering in politics.

Speaking before local government executives in Pasay City, Duterte said the Vatican conducted an investigation against Tagle.

“Tingnan mo, gamit nila ang pera kinontribute nila doon sa yellow-yellow. Tingnan mo ang nangyari, wala tayong bishop ngayon. Di mo ba alam? Tinanggal. Binigyan lang tayo ng caretaker ngayon na pari. Walang bishop ng Maynila. Nagalit si Pope kasi nakialam sa pulitika. Iyan ang totoo diyan,” the President said.

“Kaya binigay sa atin officer-in-charge na lang. Wala tayong bishop. Tagle was out. He was investigated. Iyan ang open secret. Malaman ko kasi nakikinig ako sa lahat.”

Tagle was archbishop of Manila from 2011 until he left for Rome in February this year to take on his new role as prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, a top Vatican post.

The Manila archdiocese is now "sede vacante," meaning the seat of the archbishop is vacant. In the meantime, Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo serves as Manila's Apostolic administrator.

Duterte has repeatedly lambasted the Catholic Church, bringing up the supposed misdeeds of clergymen and claimed to have been molested by a priest when he was a young student.

He also said the clergy should not use the pulpit to attack him and his policies, particularly the war on drugs.

In 2018, Duterte drew flak from religious groups and politicians after he remarked that God is “stupid.” —LDF, GMA News