Turnaround of Vidal, Palma
BEING a Roman Catholic, I have high regard for our religious leaders. This despite the controversies hounding the church, like the shenanigans committed by some priests. We understand them because they are also human beings bound to commit sins.
I am ashamed to claim that I am a devout Catholic because I seldom attend masses and do not strictly follow Catholic Church teachings. I sometimes oppose the Church's stand on certain issues. Sometimes, I get discouraged when the officiating priest during masses injects political issues in his homily.
Also kung mo- attend gud kog misa, magsuliyaw ning akong mga mata. Kun makakita kog mamords, ma- distract ko sa akong pag-ampo. But I go to church to pray alone. Anyway, my relation with God is a personal matter.
By the way, today is Ash Wednesday. It marks the beginning of Lent. It is the season of penance, reflection and fasting in preparation for Christ's resurrection on Easter Sunday when we attain redemption.
Our foreheads are marked with ashes to humble our hearts and remind us that life is fleeting. We are told: “Remember, man is dust and to dust you shall return.” Ashes are a symbol of penance made sacramental by the blessing of the Church. They help us to be humble and to sacrifice.
The Archdiocese of Cebu is now confronted with a political issue after two of its top officials were in a gathering attended by members of a group calling for the resignation of President Noynoy Aquino.
This is in view of the issues confronting the Aquino government, the latest of which was the Mamasapano encounter between highly trained members of the PNP-Special Action Force (SAF) and Muslim rebels from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighter (BIFF). It resulted to the death of 44 SAF members.
Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, joined by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma and members the National Transformation Council (NTC) read a statement calling for the resignation of President Noynoy Aquino. The following day, Vidal and Palma backtracked after the statement drew some flak from the citizenry.
Msgr. Joseph Tan, the archdiocese's media liaison officer, said Palma was surprised when he was included among the bishops who supported the call for PNoy's resignation. Tan even warned members of the NTC not to use Vidal and Palma for their political ends and to avoid misrepresenting the Catholic Church. Vidal, through his secretary, Fr. Jojo de Aquino, claimed that what Vidal read was not his personal message but that of the NTC.
Come on. I pity these two spokespersons because they were used as “shock absorbers” of their masters.
First things first. On the part of Palma, why he was there? Because he officiated the mass for Vidal's post-birthday celebration. But why was he at the background together with the other bishops when Vidal read the declaration? You mean to say he wasn't aware of what was the intention of that gathering? He should have exited after the mass and should not have joined Vidal and the other NTC personalities.
Palma's presence created the perception that he was part of the group and he was aware of their stand. If he knows it in advance, he should have excused himself because he couldn't support that stand. What was his role there? Props?
On the part of Vidal, his secretary said it was not his message but that of the NTC. You mean to say that his Eminence did not review what he was about to read? Why did he decide to read that declaration if he had nothing to do with it or did not conform it? If you read a declaration, it means that you conformed with its contents.
If it was not his message, why did Vidal not excuse himself and instead asked former senator Francisco Tatad to read that declaration? Tatad can simply do it as he is a journalist and former information officer of dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
Is Fr. de Aquino telling us that Vidal was influenced or coerced by the NTC to read that declaration? Come on. He is a priest and he should stop telling lies because nobody will believe him.
Are Vidal and Palma trying to fool and confuse the Cebuano people about their stand? They should have taken a strong stand, whether it is popular or not. Dapat manindigan.