I’ll face the challenge

THAT no less than Pope Francis admitted in a landmark Vatican Conference on Thursday the issue on the sexual abuse of children by priests when he said the Church would “listen to the cry of the little ones seeking justice,” President Duterte must be the happiest man on earth after hearing the admission as he proved to his critics, particularly the priests and their allies, that he is right and they are all wrong.

In a short opening statement, Pope Francis said victims expected “concrete and efficient measures” to deal with the abuse and scandal and not mere condemnation.

The “evil” of sexual abuse of children by priests had to be transformed into a “purification” of the Roman Catholic Church, he said.

I am calling on the people especially church devotees not to lose faith in the biggest congregation around the world after we confirmed the “evil” hiding on the White Cossack. Priests after all are also humans easy to succumb to temptation.

There are about 450,000 Catholic priests in the world and we are not sure if one half of the figure committed sins.

And we are also not sure as to the number of children fathered by priests. But I beg our priests to continue their lives and advocacies in accordance with the teaching of the church.

And my only request to them is to put an end to this issue, but continue to support financially and spiritually the children they fathered , but they must forget their association with their mothers. Aray!

-o0o-

On this day I am again joining hundreds of applicants seeking to go abroad as we queue at the compound of the American Embassy along Roxas Boulevard for final of application papers.

In my case, this will be the culmination of interviews for my immigrant visa which was held in abeyance when my appearance was first scheduled last Dec. 17 as I was waiting for the delayed results of my medical checkup at St. Luke’s Medical Center, an extension clinic of St. Luke’s Hospital.

I finally passed the physical evaluation of doctors and given doses of three injections for immunization, an indication that I am in good health and fit to travel abroad after 64 days of patiently waiting while spending time, effort, and precious savings that almost discouraged me to push my plan through.

At my age only a few like me will dare doing what I endured while travelling by plane to and from Davao City to Metro Manila and staying in hotels for almost a month while alternately transferring to the residence of my niece, Dr. Christine Tinitigan Apolinario’s place at BF Resort in Las Pinas.

But after I recalled what my only daughter Tala, who petitioned me, repeatedly and proudly telling friends: “Si Papa ko, basta inumpisahan, tatapusin niyan!” I faced the challenge and on this day I am almost there to succeed.

Unless no more last minute changes on schedule as what happened before when I had to extend my hotel accommodations and flight schedules three times, I will be home by tomorrow. And hopefully, to the Big Apple soon!

Honestly speaking, even in my wildest dream I never expected that one day I will personally process document after document for immigrant visa to the United States because I have no plan of going there unlike others who believe in American dreams.

With reports of almost neck-deep frozen residential

areas in Northern and Southern California the past weeks and people getting sick while others are freezing to death, and vacationing senior citizen friends who arrived from the US informing me that they have to shorten their six-month rest and recreation (RR) to two months because of cold weather, the plan of personally facing Uncle Sam remains to be seen.

But because I wanted to give justice to the effort of my daughter to be with her for the remaining years of my life, again, I will subscribe to her wishes.

I visited Protacio Street in Pasay City where I was born 78 years ago. Twenty years of my growing up years were spent here while 58 years in Davao City where I made myself what I am today.

Except for few street names in every intersection that have remained unchanged, the place where my ‘inunan’ (placenta) was buried is now totally stranger to me because of the big development introduced here. Nothing of the old memories were left, including my parents, four brothers and a sister who were also gone. May their souls rest in Peace!