Bishop Villegas on Duterte: We pray for his healing and for God’s forgiveness on him

Lingayen Archbishop Socrates Villegas on Tuesday urged the faithful to "pray" for President Rodrigo Duterte following the President's attacks on God and Christianity, but "rebuke his errors" about the Christian faith.

"We pray for his healing and for God's forgiveness on him but we must rebuke his errors about our Christian faith," Villegas said in a message, issued amid Duterte's public tirades against God and the Bible.

Villegas sounded lenient in his message, theorizing that "[i]f he (Duterte) had been loved much, he would be giving so much of that love too."

"He could be a victim of his scarred past and his wounded background," the archbishop said.

Villegas addressed the youth and children in the archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan in particular to clarify statements made by Duterte as some "might get confused" about his remarks as he as a President is a "person in authority."

Included among the clarifications he made from the Young Catechism of the Catholic Church are the definition of religion, creationism as a wrong interpretation, and the meaning of suffering and original sin.

"Harbor no grudge but be critical and discerning. Be respectful of your parents and those in authority and choose good manners all the time even if you hear and see the opposite," Villegas said.

The tough-talking Duterte on Friday lambasted in a speech in Davao City the concept of God and the creation story in yet another manifestation of his rift with the Catholic Church, which he once called "full of shit."

Instead of apologizing, Duterte on Monday said his remarks about God was connected with Australian nun Sister Patricia Fox, against whom he ordered an investigation for allegedly participating in prohibited political activities for foreigners. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News