GARCIA HERNANDEZ, Bohol, June 24 (PIA)—When other church authorities went ballistic over the presidential diatribes against church leaders after unwittingly using the pulpit to criticize the administration, Tagbilaran Bohol bishop Albert Uy has it, his way.
At the homily during the Pontifical mass celebrating the feast day of Saint John the Baptist, patron saint of the town, the low key and unassuming bishop shepherd of the Catholic church here urged the faithful: pray for healing, continue to respect him as president.
Bishop Abet's statement came as a somber pleading, absent the fire which several revered church leaders have recently displayed.
Stepping off the rostrum and bringing his fiesta message to the community in thanksgiving, the bishop stood below the church apse, aware that among the thick crowd were Presidential Communications Operations Office head Secretary Jose Ruperto Martin Andanar and several politicians.
Andanar is a Duterte cabinet member.
In his characteristic meek tone, the bishop admitted, he was hurt when the faith he grew into, was looked down and ridiculed [by the President].
He said the President has earned a lot of people’s admiration for the reforms he did and the promise of a better government and added, part of the strong mandate which Duterte earned, came from Boholanos.
Then he proceeded to ask the PCCO Secretary to tell the President about his feelings and the feelings of those with him, who know what, and how it is to respect authority.
Earlier, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, in apparent disgust over the church meddling into the affairs of the state and some of their leaders’ sudden interest in the changes happening in the country lashed back at the church and the God who has become the excuse for the leaders in sotanas.
Several church leaders were never were as openly dipping their hands into politics and snapping at the government even when there was more corruption, more disorder and more inefficiency during the past, the President's camp said.
While the Boholano Bishop of Tagbilaran is aware that the church is not a place for saints, he humbly admitted that there too, are misgivings in the church.
But what hurts him, is that there are people who give their best to live a Christian life, who are also affected by the President’s tirades against the church and its leaders.
“Masakitan sad sila kon ang ilang pagtoo na ang mayatakan, (They can be hurt when their faith gets trampled), Uy, who has since been identified with the poor, helping build homes to homeless Boholanos before becoming a bishop, humbly said.
Bishop Abet explained that there might have been some sad experiences of the president,that prompted him to say those, he reasoned out.
The bishop then called on Boholanos attending the fiesta mass to continue to pray for healing so that the President’s heart could be healed.
And, Bishop Abet also called on the flock to continue to respect [our] President, in as much as respecting leaders are still revered Christian values.
Having said these, he apparently has been unburdened, admitted: Bug-at nga pagbati, (It is a heavy feeling.)
But since today is the feastday, let us celebrate, he said prompting a ripple of Happy fiesta from the congregation.
Bishop Uy hopes his message gets to the president through Secretary Andanar. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
No comments:
Post a Comment