Separation of Church and State: Is this still being respected?

[FK]

The separation of the Church and the State was made also a big issue because of this politicos... when they are in fire because of morality issue, they claim that the Church are intervening int the affairs of the state. Â*But come election time, they try so hard to be in each religious gathering to have a God-fearing image.

[FK]

Again, I dont think the kind Bishop from Caloocan is just merely talking about morality here...

i'm talking on the wider perspective... as i mentioned this issue was not mentioned only just now. Almost everytime when church leader/priest talks constantly about how corrupt/immoral the government, the official automatically claims that the church and the state should be separated.

And the Bishop of Caloocan is just practicing his Filipino right to file an impeachment complaint same as GMA practicing his Catholic right to take communion.

[omad]

Almost everytime when church leader/priest talks constantly about how corrupt/immoral the government, the official automatically claims that the church and the state should be separated.

And the Bishop of Caloocan is just practicing his Filipino right to file an impeachment complaint same as GMA practicing his Catholic right to take communion.as far as I know a priest/bishop talking, expressing, commenting against somebody in politics etc etc is totally different from him filing, signing, endorsing an impeachment complaint against that somebody in politics. let's just draw the line there and make that comparison clear and get it out of the way before we continue with this discussion..

[lalakingbisdak]

The priests are filipinos too and the church is in the philippines, so do they have to be exempted sa tax? They are filipinos and the are in the philippines.

i'm not quiet sure if priestare exempted from tax if they have jobs or have businesses not related with the church. But if there income are outside of church duties then I believe they should also be tax.

I still go for the government for the church to pay taxes weither its donations or something. To the priest and church leaders, pay your taxes!

[FK]

The wall of separation that must remain inviolable, is that wall of protection for the people's religious liberty, the wall whose bricks are the rights of privacy, whose mortar is freedom of speech, expression and peaceful assembly, that demands the State mind its own business and not meddle in the free exercise of democratic rights. Even if you wear a cassock or a cilice!

http://philippinecommentary.blogspot...ag-clergy.html

When I decided to become a priest, I did not thereby give up my citizenship and my precious freedom of expression. No politician can deprive me of those. Whether or not clerics should shut up is a matter between them and Canon Law over which no politician has jurisdiction. In a democracy such as ours, proudly proclaimed by the administration, attempts to silence religious critics are usually a desperate defense of indefensible positions.

As Bishop Tutu is quoted as saying: "I am not able to understand what Bible is read by those who say that religion and politics must not be mixed." Quite clearly, the chances for convergence of Church and State interests are extremely high, if not inevitable.

http://news.inq7.net/express/html_ou...72752.xml.html

interesting read on the issue..

[omad]

taken from the link you posted:

FATHER JOAQUIN BERNAS, S.J. is mad in his Sounding Board column today, Churchmen and Charter Change. Political scoundrels who want to "gag the clergy," are misreading and distorting the principle of the Separation of Church and State to exclude churches, clergy and other religious persons from participating in politics, for example, by commenting on charter change moves by the government. I sympathize deeply with Fr. Bernas in that churchmen really are damned if they do and damned if they don't when it comes to speaking out on public controversies. Those scoundrels of which he speaks can easily get away with it in part because too many good citizens mistakenly think that the Constitution does forbid churches from "meddling" in politics, by criticizing or praising government officials and public policies; that it is unconstitutional for organized religions like the Catholic Church to endorse candidates for public office; or to take a stand on such controversial political issues like Charter Change, because this supposedly violates the "wall of separation" between Church and State.all those words in blue is what I'm talking about.. it's different altogether when these words: expressing his view, commenting on an issue, speaking out, criticizing, taking a stand etc etc compared to what the bishop did recently.. he went out of his way to submit, file and endorse a document for impeachment.. I don't know how you look at it, but in my own point of view, that goes way beyond those words in blue.

[tackielarla]

taken from the link you posted:

FATHER JOAQUIN BERNAS, S.J. is mad in his Sounding Board column today, Churchmen and Charter Change. Political scoundrels who want to "gag the clergy," are misreading and distorting the principle of the Separation of Church and State to exclude churches, clergy and other religious persons from participating in politics, for example, by commentingÂ* on charter change moves by the government. I sympathize deeply with Fr. Bernas in that churchmen really are damned if they do and damned if they don't when it comes to speaking outÂ* on public controversies. Those scoundrels of which he speaks can easily get away with it in part because too many good citizens mistakenly think that the Constitution does forbid churches from "meddling" in politics, by criticizing or praising government officials and public policies; that it is unconstitutional for organized religions like the Catholic Church to endorse candidates for public office; or to take a stand on such controversial political issues like Charter Change, because this supposedly violates the "wall of separation" between Church and State.all those words in blue is what I'm talking about.. it's different altogether when these words: expressing his view, commenting on an issue, speaking out, criticizing, taking a standÂ* etc etc compared to what the bishop did recently.. he went out of his way to submit, file and endorse a document for impeachment.. I don't know how you look at it, but in my own point of view, that goes way beyond those words in blue.Â* Â*

exactly... as what i was trying to point out, there is a big difference in expressing your opinion to ACTUALLY engaging yourself in a purely political exercise... the issue here is not the clergy saying things against the Government, but one of their own actually FILING an impeachment complaint against a politician...

i mean, nobody's arguing about one's freedom of expression here...

[FK]

all those words in blue is what I'm talking about.. it's different altogether when these words: expressing his view, commenting on an issue, speaking out, criticizing, taking a stand etc etc compared to what the bishop did recently.. he went out of his way to submit, file and endorse a document for impeachment.. I don't know how you look at it, but in my own point of view, that goes way beyond those words in blue.

let go further with the law opinion it even clearly states that even religious figures can participate in elections.

All other requirments being met, Archbishop Angel Lagdameo or Manila's Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales could even run for President, if they were unfortunate enough to have such an insane ambition.

so if a priest can run for government office by definition of the constitution, then why is it that filing an impeachment complaint is not acceptable?

i mean, nobody's arguing about one's freedom of expression here...

so onsa man jud ato gihisgotan dinhi ang HIYA/DELICADEZA or the Separatio of Church and State as state in the Constitution?

[wanderlust]

There is a difference between a priest merely expressing his view and a priest using his position of authority in the Church to try to prejudice the people in favor of his own political bias. Our priests are priests first, as tackielarla says. They must refrain from meddling in politics.

[SamuraiArcher]

Unsa kaha mahitabo if ang mga Cathiloc Priest/Bishops mahimong government officials? kana if dili na i-separate ang state and Church...im sure daghan mutagan pagka Mayor nga Pari....