Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral in Montreal. Jean Gagnon. CC BY-SA 3.0

MANILA — Catholic Church leadership in Montreal in Canada have withdrawn permission for use of churches there for a rally for Duterte supporters, a rights group that opposed it said.

In a statement, the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines - Quebec Chapter welcomed the “quick and well-rounded response to the letter of concern” it sent about a March 28 gathering “presented publicly as a birthday celebration” but “also aimed to show support for [former President Rodrigo] Duterte following his recent arrest by the International Criminal Court.”

ICHRP-Quebec said it had written the Catholic Church of Montreal, also known as the Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal, to oppose the planned gathering.

The group said that while individuals and groups have the right to hold public gatherings and air their views, "holding such an event in a sacred place—within a Catholic Church—seems deeply disturbing to us, given the heavy liability of [Duterte] on human rights violations and public contempt for the Church."

Duterte is in detention at the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands to face a case of the crime against humanity of murder in relation to he drug war.

He and his supporters question the ICC's jurisdiction and say the deaths in the drug war — at least 6,000 in acknowledged law enforcement operations — were justified because alleged "drug personalities" forced police to shoot them dead.

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"Allowing the Catholic Church to be used both to celebrate a person facing such serious accusations — and who has repeatedly expressed contempt for the Church — and to oppose the ICC proceedings could be perceived as contrary to the moral position of the Church,” it said, quoting from its letter.

The group said Church leadership had granted the use of its venues “in good faith” but that “once concerns were raised and the context clarified, the Montreal Church authorities acted quickly and responsibly to cancel the event.”

The archdiocese has more than 200 churches serving a Catholic population of 1.2 million Catholics in Montreal, according to its website.

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Duterte supporters managed to hold events in other venues, including Mackenzie King Park, based on social media posts of those gatherings.

ICHRP-Quebec said the archdiocese’s decision reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to the dignity of human life and the importance of accountability.

“This is more than a matter of one event. It is a powerful reminder that sacred spaces must never be used to legitimize impunity or sanitize the image of those who have committed—or are credibly accused of—grave human rights violations,” the group said.

“Churches are places of prayer, healing, and truth-telling. They must remain safe spaces for victims and prophetic voices alike.”

Sen. Bong Go, a close Duterte ally and long-time aide, said "over 200 sites around the world" would be holding synchronized events to mark Duterte's 80th birthday on March 28.