Ladies and Gentlemen:

Many years ago, I was one day agreeably surprised in my office in the Office Building of
the House of Representatives in Washington by the visit of a bishop of the Catholic
Church. I say I was agreeably surprised because up to that time no bishop of foreign
blood had ever called on me, or, as far as I knew, on any other Filipino official. I was all
the more surprised because at the time it was publicly known that I belonged to the
Masonic Society and I had no reason to believe that this fact was ignored by my
distinguished visitor.

The bishop came to tell me that he had just been appointed Bishop of Zamboanga and
that he felt it his duty, which he was glad to perform, to pay his respects to the
representative of the Filipino people in the Congress of the United States, and I
accordingly expressed by appreciation for his gracious courtesy. That was the
beginning of my acquaintance which later ripened into real friendship with His Grace,
Archbishop Michael O’Doherty, whom it is my pleasure to honor tonight on the occasion
of the twenty-fifth anniversary of his consecration as Bishop of the Catholic Church.

I mention this incident because, as far as I have had occasion to observe his conduct, it
is typical of his attitude toward Filipino officials and non-Catholics. It shows that even at
the time when the intervention of Filipino officials in the Government of the Philippines
was more or less nominal, Archbishop O’Doherty recognized the importance that should
be given Filipino officialdom by those who re sided in these Islands, and even by those
who were not connected with the Government. It also shows his tolerance towards non-
Catholics and his willingness to give them their due. My friendship with Archbishop
O’Doherty really developed after he had become the Archbishop of Manila and, I must
add, a good many years prior to my rejoining the Catholic Church, the faith of my
fathers. I was Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the Philippine Islands and elected to
the 33rd degree of the Scottish Rite Masonry, the highest rank to which a Mason can
aspire, when our relations became very friendly.

I will not presume to tell the bishops how they should conduct themselves towards the
non-Catholic population of these Islands. That is their affair, and, I take it, they know
more about it than I do. But since the friendship that developed between Archbishop
O’Doherty and myself while I was still a Mason did no harm to the Church and did some
good to the Government, it may be presumed that there was nothing wrong in that
relationship. Nothing can stir up the passions and prejudices of men more effectively
than religious intolerance, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness. History is replete with telling
evidences o this fact, and we should not lightly disregard its lessons.
Under the present Constitution of the Philippine Commonwealth, just as under the
Jones Act, and in fact ever since the American flag was first hoisted over these is lands,
the separation of the Church and the State, and the freedom of worship are guaranteed.
The State has nothing to do with the Church, nor the Church with the State. I am a
Catholic as everybody knows, I, who, to the time being, is at the head of this
Government. As an individual, I worship my God in accordance with my own religious
belief. But as the head of the State I can have no more to do with the Catholic Church
than I can with a Protestant denomination, the Aglipayan, the Mohammedan, or any
other religious organization or sect in the Philippines. And no authority of any church
has any right to interfere with the affairs of the Government.

We should be thankful that there is here this separation of the Church and State and
freedom of worship. The Church itself is better off when entirely disconnected from the
Government, and the Government in turn when disassociated from the Church.

Lastly, I want to say that the Catholic Church and every church in fact can be and should
be of great help to the Government and the people of the Philippines. The Catholic
Church stands for law and order, for respect and obedience to constituted authority for
public and private morality, for human brotherhood, and its influence in this regard will
be helpful to our country, especially at this time.

It is not my intention to take advantage of this occasion to deliver an elaborate speech. I

A. What does the concept of the "Separation of the Church and the State" would like to
convey to the people?

- The concept of the Separation of the Church and the State means we can openly and
respectfully disagree with Church leadership without fear of being put in stocks or tied
between two horses that are going in opposite directions. It means that, the church and
the government are separate entities. Because the church itself is better off when entirely
disconnected from the government, and the government in turn when disassociated from
the church. Though we recognize that the separation of Church and State is an important
principle, our modern secular culture has misinterpreted it to mean either a separation of
morality from lawmaking or a separation of religiously informed opinion from the
lawmaker.

B. Do all countries in the world follow the concept of "Separation of the Church and the
State"? If not all, what would be the reason behind?
- No, some countries do not adhere to the concept of "Separation of the Church and the
State." Canada is one of the countries that does not have a separation of the Church and
the State. Canada only has the freedom and conscience and religion, which has been
interpreted to mean, also freedom from religion. However, there is nothing in Canada
guarantee the separation of Church and State, as a Liberal democracy secularism has
become the standard. And they have a few supreme court rulings, but their head of state,
the Queen is also the head of the Church of England. And by extension, the England
Church of Canada, and so religion often impacts are governmental of fairs. They enjoy
tax free charitable status, many Catholic schools are publicly funded, they’re even
allowed to lobby their lawmakers. So, really, how much religion plays a part in their
governmental affairs is at the discretion of lawmakers and the courts.

C. What does President Quezon want to emphasize when he said, "The Church itself is
better off when entirely disconnected from the Government, and the Government in turn
when disassociated from the Church"? On what way/s is it beneficial to the country?

- President Quezon wanted to emphasize the significance of keeping the Church and the
State separate because it may cause conflict. The conflict between religion and politics
is resolved by separating Church and State. There are often abusive punishments
imposed by rulers who use the justification of religious dogma to turn blasphemy,
apostasy, and heresy into crimes against the state. Rulers who do so claim they have
the authority of God. That is why the separation is vital because it creates peace and
understanding between diverse groups of people in the political sphere.