Pacquiao Preaches Before Marbel Priests

ARCHDIOCESE OF COTABATO

On 13 March 2012 (Tuesday), World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao will preach to the priests of the Diocese of Marbel in South Cotabato during their regualar annual recollection. He will be talking about the importance of the Bible and how his spiritual experience and the Bible has changed him.

This came after bishops of the Catholic Church in the country attested to his transformation after his spiritual exprience in November 2011, which led to his close involvement in Bible studies thereafter.

After his fight with Mexican challenger Juan Manuel Marquez last year, Pacquio dreamed of walking in a  beautiful forest when a bright light shone on him. And a voice asked him: "Son, why are you going away from me?"

Pacquiao had also left gambling for good.

Sources

Philip C. Tubeza: "2 bishops attest to Pacquiao being a 'changed man'" Philippine Daily Inquirer 10 March 2012 [Read]

Quake Death Toll: Blame Human Negligence

ARCHDIOCESE OF CEBU

Archbishop Jose Palma, also current head of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, said that it is human negligence in implementing infrastructure projects and the building code that must be blamed for the destruction left in Negros Occidental by the earthquake left on 6 February 2012. In a sense, had the government prevented substandard infrastructures in our roads and ensured compliance of the Building Code, the roads and bridges would have withstood the 5.9-strong quake, and the houses remained standing thereafter. [Read Report]

Our Lady Saved "Walk" Participants from Rain

IT COULD have been a wet "Walk of Mary" at dawn today as heavy rains poured down on Cebu City. At around four in the morning, just before the procession starts from Fuente Osmena Circle on its way to Basilica Del Sto. Nino, the rain stopped. [READ REPORT]

Scandal in the Shrine Church of Minglanilla

THINGS APPEARED to have gone out of control in this urbanized town of southern Cebu. Lately, acolytes and lay ministers ask the Archbishop of Cebu to do something in disciplining a priest in the Parish of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Ward III, Minglanilla, Cebu. There is no doubt that priests are priority targets of Satan in his prowling around for souls; but this time the prince of darkness may have succeeded.

Church workers who supposedly have seen the scandal reported that the priest curiously disappeared into the dark portion of the church compound after celebrating the Mass in the parish church. When they followed him, they saw him with a woman waiting in the dark, and had sex with her. The same woman also had been seen entering the church premises at night using a rear gate.

And that seems not to be all there is in this nefarious affair, the priest was also involved with another woman.

Later report indicated that there were two members of the five-member pastoral team who had been allegedly involved in the sexual misdemeanor. The one mentioned above; and the other one allegedly sexually harrassed two acolytes.

After a retreat in a Boljoon, the first priest came back. But this time the team moderator prevented the ministers of the Eucharist who figured in reporting of the priest's misconduct are prevented from serving in the Mass. The acolytes too who accused the second priest of sexual harrassment got eased out.

This event obviously has insulted the Blessed Mother, the patroness of the shrine church.

Sources

Bobby Nalzaro, Justin Vestil: "Acolytes, ministers ask Archdiocese: Stop priest who has sex in church compound," SunStar Cebu 10 December 2011 [read report]

Candice Mongaya, Fe Marie Dumaboc: "Minglanilla faithful buck reports of erring parish priest," Cebu Daily News 12 December 2011 [read report]
Bobby Nalzaro: "Priests are threatening 'acolytes'" SunStar Cebu 18 December 2011  [read report]
Bobby Nalzaro: "Team ministry should be disbanded," SunStar Cebu 6 January 2012 [read report]

A Refocus to Almsgiving

In the wake of the PCSO controversy which placed seven bishops in the hotseat for requesting and receiving SUVs from the Arroyo administration, a grace that refocused the eyes of the Catholics to the value of almsgiving to the Church came upon lately as bishops find ways to correct the donation-seeking practices that led to the confusion.

Avoid donations from PCSO

Retired Cebu archbishop Cardinal Ricardo Vidal reminded the priests to refrain from asking donations from the PCSO.

Return to almsgiving

Vidal also asked to faithful to do more almsgiving to their local Church to help in the administration of the sacraments.

Sources

Bernadette Parco: 'Beware of PCSO' SunStar Cebu 20 July 2011