Cover image via SAYS PH
"The Holy Father offers the assurance of his prayers for you, as he invokes upon you the divine blessings of wisdom and peace," (in a letter addressed to Duterte)
Image via List 25
It started during the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) campaign last 30 November 2015
Image via Taho News
Duterte suddenly blurted out about the 5-hour travel time it took him just to go to a nearby mall in Metro Manila. "**Gusto kong tawagan**, 'Pope **putang ina ka, umuwi ka na. 'Wag ka nang magbisita dito**. (Pope, you son of a bitch, go home. Don't visit here anymore)," said the Mayor, according to Rappler.
After this incident, Duterte visited Davao City Archbishop Romulo Valles at the Bishop's Palace last 4 December 2015
**Duterte posted his gratefulness to the Archbishop on Facebook for giving him a lecture on Christian values. He also committed to donate P1,000 per curse word to Caritas Davao.**
According to [CNN] (http://cnnphilippines.com/), a letter from the Vatican's Secretariat of State, signed by Angelo Becciu, stated that His Holiness Pope Francis has received Duterte's letter dated 21 January 2016 and that the Holy See appreciates the sentiments which the mayor expressed
**Duterte's assistant, Christopher Bong Go, posted a letter showing the pope's divine blessing to the Davao City Mayor. It was dated 24 February 2016.**
On 17 February this year, four weeks after he sent his letter of apology to the Vatican, Duterte visited Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra to ask for his forgiveness for cussing Pope Francis
Image via ABS-CBN
"Navarra admitted that he was taken aback by Duterte's earlier statements, but said the issue has long died down," said Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra, according to ABS-CBN News.
On Sunday, 3 April, Duterte told the media that he got his forgiveness from the pope, but he doesn't want to be accused as politicking that's why he didn't informed the public
"I don't want my opponents accusing me of using the letter for politicking," Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said, according to The Philippine Star.
Image via The PH News
