The Vatican has expressed concern over the role played by Philippine Roman Catholic bishops in efforts to throw President Joseph Estrada out of office, the foreign ministry said Monday.
Philippine ambassador to the Holy See Henrietta de Villa wrote to the foreign office that she had a long informal conversation last week with Monsignor Luis Montemayor, head of the Asian desk in the Vatican's secretariat.
"The Vatican is very concerned with the local church's active involvement with the move to oust the president," De Villa said in her letter, released to the press on Monday.
The Vatican believes the campaign "has placed the entire church in a precarious situation," and such an expression of political sentiment "could eventually redound to a negative effect on the country, the church and the 'magisterial of the presidency'," she said.
Philippine bishops have led street protests calling for Estrada's resignation.
The House of Representatives impeached him last month on bribery, corruption, betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the constitution -- MANILA (AFP)
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