Cardinal Vidal told: Mass is meant to discover truth, redemption

Saturday, 29 October 2005

Cardinal Vidal told: Mass is meant to discover truth, redemption

Leftwing activists assail Cebu archbishop stand on no permit, no Mass policy around Palace
Cardinal Vidal told: Mass is meant to discover truth, redemption

Anti-Arroyo activists belonging to the fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Saturday told Cebu Archbishop Cardinal Ricardo Vidal that any mass that is meant to discover truth and seek redemption how politically charge it maybe is not against the Gospel.

Pamalakaya information officer Gerry Albert Corpuz stressed the point in reaction to Cardinal Vidal’s statement on last week that it was not proper to use the Mass as a decoration in political gatherings, a declaration meant to uphold the no permit, no Mass for the opposition policy around Malacañang.

“ Is Cardinal Vidal preventing the Church from performing its religious and holy task of bringing out the truth and delivering justice to those who need it for total redemption? We don’t see any moral basis why the Archbishop of Cebu would ban mass asking people to unite for truth and justice,” Corpuz asserted.

Archbishop Vidal on Friday said, “ There has to be great respect for the Mass. It should not be used for any purpose. To make that as instrument is not proper. The Mass is the highest point of unity.”

But Pamalakaya’s Corpuz said there could be no unity if there’s no truth and there could be no justice if there’s no redemption.

“ Cardinal Vidal is either playing his role to the hilt as one of the political stooges of the Macapagal-Arroyo administration or he has completely forgotten the Church’s ethical and moral role to join the people in their day-to-day quest for truth and justice. We don’t know but we hope Cardinal Vidal would soon come to his senses that he exists for the glory of the people and not for the glory of a female dictator named Gloria,” the group’s information chief added.

Vidal has banned the celebration of Eucharist in any political gathering in his archdiocese since the 1980s, especially those held in the guise of “ ecumenical prayers”, adding that the people were distracted and not paying to the Mass anymore.

However, Vidal’s statement failed to dampen the spirit of Pamalakaya, one of the militant groups calling for the resignation of Ms Arroyo. Pamalakaya today urged the influential Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to condemn the no permit, no Mass policy adopted by Malacañang in nearby churches within the immediate perimeter of the presidential palace.

“ It is now a major battle between good and evil, with the evil empire of Ms Arroyo dictating terms on God’s children and followers and imposing its own will against the will of truth and justice seekers,” the group said.

“ Malacañang is killing the Gospel of faith to save the illegitimate, immoral and anti-Christ regime of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The CBCP must do something to stop this modern-day Herod trapped in a woman’s body in the person of Ms Arroyo,” Pamalakaya added.

Presidential Security Group Commander Brig. Gen. Delfin Bangit in his letter to Msgr. Ernesto Cruz of the National Shrine of St. Michael the Archangel, which is one the Catholic churches within the Palace complex says,” This command respectfully appeals to the fairness and reverence of your church so that political scenarios hidden under the guise of a religious activity could be avoided in the future and thus prevent pious churchgoers from being misled.”

But Msgr. Cruz said the October 24 Mass was a solemn one with no banners and placards and streamers. “ I don’t see any problem with the Mass last Oct.24. That group has as much right as any other to use the church to celebrate the Eucharist for as long as the proper decorum in church is observed. I believe you will be perfectly within your right to act if the gathering becomes violent and unruly,” Msgr. Cruz told PSG Commander Bangit.

To assert his point, the monsignor again allowed another anti-Arroyo group-the Bukluran Para sa Katotohanan to hold a Mass at San Miguel Church last Thursday. Despite the presence of Manila policemen inside the courtyard and even inside the church, organizers finished the Mass celebrated by Bishop Teodoro Bacani.

Pamalakaya said Malacañang has no right to ban peaceful anti-Arroyo protests and gatherings critical to the present administration of President Arroyo. The group said Roman Catholic churches even if these are located within the security radius of Malacañang do not belong to Palace but to millions of Roman Catholic churchgoers and believers.

“ It is high time for the CBCP to declare all churches as repression free-zones and sanctuaries for those who want truth and justice to come out. We ask the CBCP leadership to make it official and disregard Malacañang’s political and religious persecution of people who believed that she is the worst president this country has ever had and she must be held accountable for her grave crimes against the people and believers of this country,” Pamalakaya said.

Aside from San Miguel Church, the militant group appealed to the CBCP to declare other churches within the vicinity of Malacañang and Mendiola as repression free-zone areas like St. Jude near Gate 7 of Malacañang, San Sebastian Church in Quiapo, Manila, San Beda Church in Mendiola and Bustillos Church in Legarda, Manila. #