The Vatican dismissed as a 'crazy idea' proposals to arm Catholic priests in the Philippines against gangs of kidnappers.

It said the measure would only serve to aggravate the problem instead of deterring criminals.

The Vatican's Ambassador, Rev. Antonio Franco, in a report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, said the seat of Roman Catholic faith would never sanction the arming of priests even if they are based as missionaries in areas where their life is in danger.

"If the arming of priests is an option then the missionaries who were sent to even more hostile areas during the era of exploration would have been armed," another Catholic priest told Gulf News.

The proposal to arm priests came from among the clergymen themselves following several incidents where the lives of colleagues were not spared by extremists and bandits who abduct for ransom.

In 1984, Italian priest Tulio Favali was brutally murdered by cultists.

The cleric was decapitated and his remains eaten by members of the Tadtad cult. Similar attacks by extremists against clergymen were less brutal but more frequent.

Last May, Rhoel Gallardo, a priest in southern Basilan, was executed by the Abu Sayyaf along with four others during a failed attempt by the army to rescue them.

Also that same year, Benjamin Inocencio, 42, chancellor f the Vicariate of Jolo in southern Sulu, was killed by Moro bandits.