Manila, May 15 -- An official of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Friday said the Church issues pastoral statements not to criticize politicians, but to guide the public and point out what it believes are troubling developments in government.

According to Fr. Jerome Secillano, executive secretary of the CBCP-Public Affairs Office, the recent statement regarding the abrupt change in Senate leadership was not intended to place elected officials in a bad light but to help Filipinos better understand the situation.

"Well, the Catholic Church did not release such statements to criticize politicians but to show the people that there are things happening that are no longer appropriate, that no longer suit the sense...