Election result dismays Catholic Church officials

 

Some Catholic Church officials are expressing dismay over the result of the elections, specifically concerning the senatorial race.

Good for them!

If you ask me, the result should silence them and should make them realize that their concern is in the affairs of the church and it should stop, when beyond that the affairs of the state begin.

I am not saying that they should not get involve in the political process of the country, for more than being priests they are citizens of the republic.

Their participation and role, however, should be on an individual basis and should not include the church in meddling in the affairs of the state.

Like government officials responsible for the earthly welfare of the people, the church officials also have heavenly responsibilities for their flock.

Both responsibilities, mind you, are far-reaching such that if one interferes with the business of the other, it creates animosity and divisiveness that not only mars the relationship between the state and the church, but also hinders the growth and progress programs of both institutions.

Such was the result of the acrimonious discord over the passage of the Reproductive Health (RH) bill that went on to be the tool used by some high Catholic officials in identifying whom to vote for senator during the election.

They put up large tarpaulins in church surroundings bearing the names of candidates who opposed the RH law, branding them as “Team Buhay” and those who voted for the measure as “Team Patay.”

Note that the controversial measure was signed into law by President Aquino last December to provide poor people with information and access to various forms of family planning or birth control methods, including the use of condoms and other contraceptives, in order to save lives and improve the quality of life for those living and about to be born.

Believing that there is such thing as ‘Catholic votes’, the church went full bore on this idea, only to find out after the elections that those whom they black-balled for supporting the measure landed as clear winners in the senatorial race.

This is what dismayed them. But, what should dismay them more is the backlash it has generated among some of their followers who used reason and sensibleness in going against the wishes of the ranking church officials. They found the church’s advocacy on this matter suffocating, if not irrational, and are beginning to distance themselves from the church.

One consoling and encouraging reflection of the election results is that the Catholics are beginning to speak their own minds in matters relating to the affairs of the state and not be influenced by the dictates of ranking church officials whose myopic stand on such an important issue as health and responsible parenthood is senseless, at best, and deplorable, at worst.

‘Quality of faith’ comment by Cardinal Tagle

 

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle

In an interview published in Rome’s La Repubblica Daily, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, when asked about the Church, was quoted as saying, “Today in the ancient churches – above all in Europe, where Christians have been the majority for centuries – there is concern about the future of the Church.”

Then he went on, sort of saying, it ought to learn from the lessons of the Asian Catholics, by stating that,   “For us, the vitality of the Church is not measured by how many Catholics there are but by the quality of faith.”

Indeed, at a time when the Holy See is rocked by intrigue, corruption and blackmail linked to an investigation by a committee of cardinals last year over a series of damaging leaks of confidential papal documents more known as the “Vatileaks”, which led to the conviction and later pardoning of the pope’s former butler Paolo Gabriele, there is no better words of comfort, encouragement and hope than that expressed by Cardinal Tagle.

This opprobrium only made matters worst when Pope Benedict XVI announced earlier this month his abdication of the papal throne alleging health reasons, thus, a conclave of cardinals have been called to elect a new Pontiff.

I could not agree more, therefore, with Cardinal Tagle’s opinion that what the Church should be doing is enhancing its member’s ‘quality of faith’, rather than be obsessed with just gaining more membership.

One would recall the resigning pope’s penultimate Angelus prayers attended by pilgrims and tourists, where from his window overlooking St Peter’s Square, Benedict said: “The Church calls on all its members to renew themselves… which constitutes a fight, a spiritual battle, because the evil spirit wants us to deviate from the road towards God.”

This is, indeed, a foreboding statement that he wants his successor to fight.

This is simply what Tagle means by his ‘quality of faith’ comment.

But, how could people learn to have ‘quality of faith’?

Isn’t ‘quality of faith’ a product of having ‘quality priests’ shepherding the Catholic faithful?

How could we have ‘quality of faith’ among the members of the Catholic Church when the priests that should be teaching and inculcating Christian values in people’s lives are the ones neglecting and violating it? What good and beneficial lessons can be emulated from these religious value-formation mentors? Whom shall the people trust now? Where is the ‘quality of faith’?

Take for example the case of Bishop Vicente Navarra of the diocese of Bacolod (he is no ordinary priest but an officer of the Church), who is still smarting from the defeat of the Church stand on the Reproductive Health (RH) bill, and who has declared hostilities against those politicians who voted for the bill and are now running for office and/or seeking reelection in the coming May 2013 polls.

Why would he go to that extent of venting his ire on the pulpit and showing his displeasure against these political entities by disgracing them and describing them as members of “Team Patay” (Dead Team – for their pro-stand) through posters hanged outside the church? For the candidates whom the Catholic Church is supporting, they described them as belonging to Team Buhay (Live Team – for their anti-stand).

What moral lesson is imparted here for the faithful to learn and to feel fulfilled by the ‘quality of faith’ one has? Why go berserk when you lose? Haven’t we been taught to be gracious in defeat?

Isn’t graciousness and decency more descriptive of and relevant to the Catholic Church hierarchy?

Why take it against PNoy and his candidates if they were doing it for the greater number of Filipinos who clamored to be educated in responsible parenthood? Why deny the majority their right for knowledge of the RH program if what the church teaches does not satisfy their human needs as couples, but rather make them inhuman for not being able to adequately care for the health of mother and children?

Catholic Church leaders like Bishop Navarra who can’t show a good example and does not know how to inspire the religious flock is a bane in the people’s spiritual growth.

Hopefully, Cardinal Tagle, who has been tagged as a papabile or a pope material and the “Great Asian Hope” for the papal throne, would be able to reform the confrontational and divisive attitude of some of the church officials which only brings controversy and animosity among our people instead of developing ‘quality of faith’ among all Catholics.

 

Court sends Celdran of ‘Damaso’ fame to jail

Celdran protesting against modern day “Damasos” (Photo by PhilSTAR)

Damaso is a fictional Franciscan friar characterized as being fat, arrogant and corrupt in Jose Rizal’s novel Noli Me Tangere. He is part and parcel of the expose made by the country’s national hero on the inequities suffered by the Filipinos under the Spanish rule and specifically by the Spanish Catholic priests.

Thus, when Carlos Celdran, a travel blogger, a tour guide and a Reproductive Health (RH) advocate, went inside the Manila Cathedral dressed as Rizal and disrupted the ecumenical service being held in the presence of the Papal Nuncio, Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales and other high ranking Church officials by hoisting a placard bearing the word “DAMASO”, he was simply reliving the past and depicting the hierarchy of the Catholic Bishops’Conference of the Philippines as modern day “Damasos” for going against the RH bill, which the State considered as a necessity for the many poor Filipinos.

While Celdran’s action may seem inappropriate and disrespectful, he succeeded, however, in driving home his message, with the salient approval and support of the silent majority.

Somehow, the opinionated Celdran is paying the price now for his audacity when he was found guilty of violating Article 133 of the Revised Penal Code which penalizes offending religious feelings.

Specifically, Article 133 punishes anyone who “in a place of worship or during the celebration of any religious ceremony, shall perform acts notoriously offensive to the feelings of the faithful.”

I find this law, however, somewhat unfair, at best and ridiculous, at worst.

What make this law significantly different compared to the state’s, allowing priests and nuns marching in the streets in protest over something they don’t conform with in government’s pronouncements and stand on some controversial issues?

No wonder even the International rights monitor Human Rights Watch said it was alarmed by the use of an “archaic” law to prosecute Celdran.

“This is a setback for free speech in the Philippines, which prides itself on being a democracy,” Human Rights Watch Asia researcher Carlos Conde said in a statement.

Celdran was sentenced to spend between two months and one year in jail.

If it is of any consolation, Celdran earned his well deserved fame and the RH bill has become a law since.

 

Political and religious leader’s improprieties

Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma talking to Rep. Pablo Garcia, while suspended Gov. Gwen Garcia looks on. This was during one of the prelate’s visit to Gwen’s office where she is holed up.

Recent events in the province of Cebu were not only about political turmoil brought about by Gov. Gwen Garcia’s defiance of her suspension and her decision to barricade herself in her office, but equally a religious fervor in anticipation of the Sinulog festival honoring the Sto. Niño de Cebu led by Archbishop Jose Palma.

I was hoping that with the successful celebration of the Sinulog, that Gwen’s political dilemma would have ended, too, having decided to dance in the streets, which has been her way of honoring the Sto. Niño the last eight years she has been governor.

She kept the Cebuanos guessing whether she will get out of her sanctuary, dance and not come back anymore, like a sane person should do, and let justice take its normal course.

To the dismay of many, however, after her participation in the grand parade she went back running to the Provincial Capitol where her parents were said to be waiting for her.

At the outset, Acting Gov. Agnes Magpale assured her and the public that there was not going to be any takeover, meaning that she was free to come back, yet she showed skepticism, for how else would you interpret it when she had her parents looking after her den when she went out.

This is what adds to the dismay, when you have brilliant lawyers in the family, one which happens to be Gwen’s father, who instead of teaching his daughter to be an upright person and an exemplary leader, has advised her, instead, to err, to be irresponsible and to be above the law.

I have criticized the suspended governor for defying a lawful order coming from the President, and I will continue denouncing her for taking for granted the sanctity of the Capitol building as seat of power and authority and making it a lowly board and lodging facility for her and her supporters.

Gwen, her family and supporters should realize that she has lost all moral ascendancy to govern, much less continue staying at the Capitol, now that power and authority has been vested on Magpale and orders emanating from her, in the course of her governance, are being followed and executed.

Everyday that Gwen finds herself ensconced in her former office becomes a day of shame and impropriety.

Another person also that seems to be going against the grain of conventional wisdom, harboring an ill-feeling and defying the majority decision relative the Reproductive Health (RH) bill is CBCP president and Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma.

I could not believe this high ranking man of the cloth, instead of showing irreproachable attitude in his homily during the Pontifical Mass in honor of the Sto. Niño, had interjected politics and his misgivings on the passage of the RH bill, the coming elections, and subtly insinuated to repudiate those who supported the bill, while at the same time thanking the politicians that supported the Church stand.

But, what is even worst is that Palma went beyond the bounds of propriety, decency and respect for the law when he crossed the realm of politics inciting those in attendance to have more children if they want to, even with the passage of the bill.

“Even with the passage of the RH law, those who want to have children, not just one, not two, but three or four, should put their trust in the Lord,” Palma exhorted.

Tell it to the rich, yes, but it’s easy for him to say that because, after all, it is the State that takes the burden of caring for the poor and destitute.

Why can’t Palma just keep his mouth shut and let the law function as it is intended to work. Give it a year or two and if it is not working or there are violations committed then have the Church mount a crusade.

But, until then, Palma and his ilk should stick to their religious and spiritual endeavors, which is what they are there for.

Doomsday never came, so Happy Holidays to all!

Not that I was expecting it.

But, I knew the Mayan apocalypse was as much mumbo jumbo as the prediction made twice by the California-based poppycock televangelist Harold Camping that the world would end in 1994, but since nothing happened, corrected himself and said the rapture would come on May 21, 2011.

Nothing has been heard from Camping since, and in likely manner, it’s the last that we will hear of the Mayan calendar predicting something catastrophic will befall planet Earth.

What the Mayan’s had was what is known as a Long Count Calendar that was predicted to end on December 21, 2012. This was interpreted by some demagogues as the date and day of reckoning.

The end-of-the-world paranoia was described by some as being more ‘comic than cosmic.’

It was reported that dozens of schools in Michigan canceled classes amid rumors of violence tied to the date.

In France, they say, people expecting doomsday were looking expectantly to a mountain in the Pyrenees where they believe a hidden spaceship was waiting to spirit them away.

In China, government authorities were cracking down on a fringe Christian group spreading rumors about the world’s end, while preaching that Jesus had reappeared as a woman in central China.

But, nobody could beat a Mexican entrepreneur selling ceramic handicrafts and wooden masks calling out to hysterical, remorseful individuals, “Buy something before the world ends.”

I don’t see the world coming to an end – at least not yet.

President Aquino has still to sign into law the Reproductive Health (RH) bill.

While many poor Filipinos have been waiting for the RH bill, to be educated on responsible parenthood, the rich, on the other hand, are eagerly awaiting that Congress tackles next the divorce bill.

The world won’t end yet – at least not yet.

The Catholic Church is having their hands full.

While the Church hierarchy may have lost the battle over the RH bill, they are still waging war over it, and now the administration is talking about passing next the divorce bill.

For sure they will carry the war towards 2013 elections and onward to 2016 presidential elections.

That is how determined they are – to exact revenge in the polls against those who did not and will not toe their line.

Anyway, I wouldn’t know where to find you had doomsday came. And since we are still around, let me just wish all who are following my blogs and those who stumbles and happens to find it – Happy Holidays! May you all get your fervent wishes for the New Year!

Sobriety needed with passage of RH bill

Now that the contentious Reproductive Health (RH) bill has finally been passed by the greater number of our lawmakers in Congress, it now behooves on everybody and most especially the aggrieved Catholic Church hierarchy, to observe sobriety and refrain from further rekindling the animosity between pros and cons by uttering uncalled for remarks.

Both members of the lower and upper House of Congress have been made to explain and/or justify their respective votes, either oral or written, and it is expected for all of us belonging to religious and secular sectors of our community to respect each of the lawmaker’s position.

It will do our nation good if, collectively, we pray and hope that the RH bill is the piece of the puzzle we had been waiting for to complete the vehicle that will move this nation forward and uplift the quality of lives for the greater number of poor Filipinos.

Needless to say, that as this law is being availed of and observed by our citizens, there is always the need for spiritual guidance from the Church.

Continuing the mutual respect for what the State has done for the people and what the Church will be doing, vigilantly, in support of this undertaking is of utmost necessity.

Both the State and the Church has an obligation to ensure that in the course of time the RH bill has found success because both has ceased bringing each other down.

It, therefore, leaves a bad taste in the mouth when Batangas Archbishop Ramon Arguelles became spiteful and attacked President Benigno Aquino after the successful passage of the bill.

Arguelles should learn from Louise Erdich, a half-Chippewa Indian novelist, who, on the December 17, 2012 issue of Time magazine’s ’10 Questions’ was asked: “You went to Catholic school. Are you still mad at Catholicism?” Erdich’s answer was: “I’m so full of fury that it doesn’t even register anymore. It’s not worth it. But I still feel a sense of fury at the ghastly idea that celibate old men can dictate what a woman does with her body.”

This impolite member of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) even likened Aquino to the mentally disturbed criminal who butchered school children very recently in Connecticut, USA.

As an official of the Church, Arguelles’ comparison was a show of arrogance at best and insensitivity at worst for a sorrowful incident that should never have been exploited.

President Aquino saw it fit that the time has come to act on an important measure that would make a difference in the lives of people and the state of the nation.

Not seeing it the way the Church does in no way disrespects the Church.

Thus, Arguelles had no right showing his disdain at Aquino in public.

Let sobriety now take over.

CBCP grasping at straws on RH bill

CBCP president Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma (r) and Antipolo Bishop Gabriel Reyes (l) leading fight against RH bill.

With President Benigno Aquino certifying the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill as urgent and the lower House reacting favorably by finally giving it an enthusiastic push outward the dark tunnel, where it was made to stay for the duration of its existence by politicians in favor of political expediency, rather than going against the might of the Catholic Church in helping millions of struggling Filipinos, it seems now that the measure is finally going to see the light of a historic day.

The House of Representatives already passed the bill on second reading last Thursday. It may have been an eked out of a win, but just the same it has given the nation a much needed boast.

Such an act by PNoy can be considered heroic and even an out of the box decision considering the hardline position of the Catholic hierarchy on this controversial issue, where his predecessors bowed to the pressure and the fear of losing political skirmishes.

No less than Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago had this to say: “President Aquino is my hero! He has cut the Gordian knot! I am very enthused with him. This is manifest proof of executive leadership. By one stroke, he has ended the time-wasting prevarication of the last 13 years over the RH bill,” Santiago said in a statement.

“Other presidents shirked their duty, but President Aquino rose to meet the challenge, and he has slain the monster,” the feisty senator added.

With this kind of upbeat feeling prevailing now in both chambers of Congress, it is very probable that the bicameral conference committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives can be held earlier to ratify the report before the members go on Christmas break.

What a timely, meaningful and essential gift it would be to majority of Filipinos, especially the poor.

Now, they can be familiar with responsible parenthood programs without being chastised by the Church, making these poor souls guilty.

Now, they can have a choice as to the size of family they want without endangering the lives of mother and child.

All these, obviously, do not go well with the thinking of the Church and its hierarchy.

In a pastoral letter, this is what they said: “The Reproductive Health bill, if passed into law in its present form, will put the moral fibre of our nation at risk…. a contraceptive mentality is the mother of an abortion mentality.”

How could the bill be promoting abortion when the same is expressly banned by the Philippine constitution?

Clearly, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) is grasping at straws over the RH bill that is about to be enacted to law.

The Church hierarchy should, perhaps, take cognizance of the fact that while the Philippines may have an impressive economic growth in the whole of Asia, the country will never prosper because the resources for economic improvements will never be enough if population continue to burgeon and poverty is not arrested.

There is, reportedly, a position paper released by UP economics professors, saying, that a clear and consistent national population policy is an integral part of development and poverty reduction and, perhaps with the RH bill this will now be addressed properly.

The premise that we cease to be a Catholic nation or that we will no longer be true to our Catholic faith once the RH measure becomes law is simply absurd. How could having a choice of family planning methods and teaching sex education at an appropriate level in school corrupt one’s mind when it is food for thought for ones well-being that is becoming a necessity?

We are not talking about saving souls.

We are talking about saving precious lives and earning the chance of improving/uplifting the quality of life.

That is what the RH bill is all about.

Taxing text messages not good idea

 

IMF chief Christine Lagarde with Vice President Jejomar Binay

I find the proposal of International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Christine Lagarde for the country to tax SMS (short message service) or what is commonly known as text messages, ill-timed, at best, and absurd, at worst.

We haven’t even yet seen the dust settled on the controversial issues of the RH bill, the FOI, the sin tax, now comes the head of the IMF hatching more contentious issues as if we are not having enough of them already.

Perhaps Lagarde is resurrecting this proposal again coming on the heels of information given to her by Vice President Jejomar Binay that the mobile phone penetration rate in the country of nearly 100 million people has reached to 112 percent, thanks to the popularity of using the handsets to send short messages cheaply.

This confirms a survey conducted crediting the Philippines as being the most prolific country in sending SMS messages with the average mobile phone user sending 600 messages a month.

But, not because we have these numbers or statistics, that the country is now ready for an ‘SMS tax’ because of its existing ‘broad base’.

It must be remembered that in 2009, the same ‘SMS tax’ bill proposal did not pass in Congress and if it did not pass then, the more that it will be doomed now or in the future. This is simply the type of idea that gets people riled up and rebel when it tries to mess around with their lives on something very necessary like the mobile phones, which you cannot do without these days.

If the reason for Lagarde’s proposal to tax text messages is to increase revenue to have the budget balanced, then that is being addressed to now, with the imminent passage of the sin tax bill into law.

What is intriguing in Lagarde’s proposal also is the fact that while she urges the country to consider imposing tax on SMS messages, one can’t help wonder why the same is not happening in Europe, where she comes from?

It is encouraging to note, however, that at least two senators have already expressed their displeasure over Lagarde’s proposal.

“I strongly oppose this foreign meddling and even the idea behind it. Ms. Lagarde is better off making suggestions to her fellow Europeans who can perhaps learn a thing or two from us,” Sen. Francis Escudero said in a statement.

Escudero said taxation should be based on the ability of taxpayers to pay, noting that text messaging is ingrained among the lower socio-economic strata. He said 90 percent of mobile phone users have prepaid lines.

“Instead of providing relief for the Filipino public, this twisted idea of taxing text is an additional burden to the masses,” he said.

Well said, Mr. Senator!

On his part, Sen. Manuel Villar, who chairs the Senate panel on trade and commerce, has this to say: “Tama na itong sin tax na karagdagang buwis, tama na ‘yun. Mahirap naman na ‘yung text i-tax pa natin.” (Translation: Additional sin tax is enough. It’s a pity that we shall also tax the text messages.)

The RH bill and Sotto’s plagiarism issue

 

Senator Vicente Sotto III turns back table and accuses late JFK of plagiarism

So much have been said about Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III relative to the Reproductive Health (RH) bill and plagiarism issues that, regularly, he is being ridiculed, making him appear to be less and less of a Senator of the realm and more and more of an ass that he so happily and arrogantly portrays himself to be.

I described him once as a clown, more than a senator (http://quierosaber.wordpress.com/2010/10/15/more-than-a-senator-sotto-is-a-clown/), but that was two years ago and the way he has been conducting himself lately, both on the RH bill and plagiarism issues, has made him overwhelmingly reprehensible that even his clowning is no longer funny – as it has never been, no matter how he tries hard to be.

Just look at how stupidly he has exposed himself to more derision, when instead of putting closure to the accusation that he lifted quotes from a 1966 speech of the US president’s late brother, Sen. Robert Kennedy, translating these into Filipino and passing them off as his own in a speech delivered in September, by simply apologizing to the aggrieved party, he has now dragged the good and revered name of the late John F. Kennedy himself, claiming that the latter has also plagiarized the “Ask not what the country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country …” portion of his 14-minute speech, delivered at his inauguration on Capitol Hill on Jan. 20, 1961.

I do not exactly know what Sotto is trying to prove here, but if he thinks this is an ace that he has been keeping under his sleeve to avenge his own shameful act and get away from the ethics complaint he is facing, which has been filed  by a group of academicians who also accused the senator of “lifting quotes from four US-based bloggers, twisting these to support his argument against the reproductive health (RH) bill and failing to properly credit them when he delivered three speeches in August and September against the measure”, then, he has only himself to fool.

I rest my case here against this abominable senator. Going further only tends to upset my blood pressure and I don’t want him to feel the pleasure of having done that.

But, for more on this, and for better understanding on the importance of the RH bill for the woman’s health, I urge you to go to this link: http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/on-plagiarism-the-pill-and-presumptuousness/.

 

Ironic fate of the RH bill

This is what the Catholic Church wants our legislators to do in Congress: Sleep on the RH bill

The way our legislators in both houses of Congress are conducting themselves toward the Reproductive Health (RH) bill, leaves no doubt in ones mind that they don’t want this important measure passed into law at all.

The lower House can’t seem to muster a quorum for it to be voted upon and the upper House, through its leadership, is exerting all diversionary tactics to delay its discussion.

What is even pathetic about the whole situation is that, these politicians are not only downplaying the significance of this bill, but are making us believe that both Houses simply lack the numbers to have it approved.

That is what makes the fate of the RH bill ironic.

When we thought we had these servant-politicians put in Congress to craft laws beneficial to the country and its people, now we see them putting their own interest and that of the Catholic Church over and above the interest of the State and the well-being of its people.

One can’t help but question the respectability and sensitivity of these politicians in Congress who are against the RH bill when this particular measure was planned and designed to help educate, especially the poverty-stricken sector of our society, about responsible parenthood.

Who are they to say that Congress doesn’t have the numbers, when the real numbers are outside of Congress.

Here we are talking about the millions of impoverished Filipino couples found scattered all over the country who badly need to know about family planning and what it takes to be responsible parents?

The argument that the country doesn’t need the RH bill because the population growth has already gone down is too simplistic a reasoning.

The RH bill is more concerned about saving the lives of both mother and her baby, thus, the importance of having access to reproductive health or family planning services through the RH bill.

What could be more wrong than politicians giving in to the caprices of the Catholic Church hierarchy in exchange for political patronage during elections for the rich Catholic votes, and shrugging off and neglecting the clamor from the greater number of poor Filipino couples to pass the RH bill to law so they could learn from it and improve their lives?

The non-passage of the RH bill is, in effect, short-changing the Filipinos that need it.

It is not for these presumptuous servant-politicians to decide what should or shouldn’t be desired by poor couples wanting to have a family of their own.

It is for them to provide a law on reproductive health and let the people be answerable to God.