MANILA, Philippines — The Catholic Church will celebrate the 500th year of Christianity in the Philippines in 2021 even without the support of President Duterte, three prelates said yesterday. Santos, for his part, said the Church respects the opinion of Duterte and stressed that it does not impose the Catholic faith on non-believers. He explained that the Church will celebrate the occasion to thank God for his protection and provisions for 500 years. The bishops made the statements in response to the pronouncements made by Duterte in an interview with religious leader Apollo Quiboloy aired over Sonshine TV last Saturday. “Ang tingin ko kay Rizal, talagang God (I think of Rizal as god), he’s my hero.

Source: Philippine Star June 09, 2019 15:56 UTC