TREADING THE PATH TO JUDECCA

Jaime E. Masagca

#advocatusdiaboli

#chasinglightschasingdreams

 

 

Road to Bulusan Lake in Sorsogon

A cleric is attempting to rationalize his public assertion, which was denounced by many as politically partial as in essence he is endorsing a particular Presidential aspirant. But the general view is that he has miserably failed to disentangle himself from public criticism, both morally and sensibly. 

 

The Catholic Church "has repeatedly stressed that it speaks out on politics as part of its moral duty". Indeed, the latter has its role that is confined to removing the perceived "obstacles or ignorance that impede free will", that is, to impartially guide a voter to have an intelligent choice as being dictated by conscience, independent of the Cleric's personal choice or political leanings. 

 

However, the distinguished Cleric has moved further to be actively vocal against the presidential bid of Bongbong Marcos, describing the latter as "the late dictator’s son,  a threat to the country", and has been joined by other priests in warning the people against  "radical distortions about the late strongman Ferdinand E. Marcos, Sr.'s regime which they claim to have "been marked by human rights abuses, corruption, debt crisis" and alleged atrocities. 

 

To any rational mind, such statements have leaped from the bounds of impartiality as the clerics' stand is fundamentally a jaundiced imposition that will influence a man’s choice, given their supposed moral or religious predominance and of the institution that they represent. 

 

Catholics are instructed to participate in the political process, be informed voters, and encourage elected officials to act on behalf of the common good that in this aspect the Church steps in as a shepherd would to his sheep. There are, however, limits to official Church political activity, that it is not moral for the Church to impose on nor wrongly influence any man’s choice by its supposed principled or religious predominance.

 

One cannot see the logic of objectivity in the innocent and basic canons against murder, stealing, bearing false witnesses when it is voiced with apparent allusion.

 

The simple analogy is this:

 

There are several vying for the Presidency in the forthcoming national elections. One is unmistakablysupported historically and currently by positive favoritism through the dispensation of religious rituals, and other privileges that border on sacrilege, like the use of the church as a venue for political campaigns. 

 

Therefore, if they say not to vote for a dictator's son, a thief, or a liar, unmistakably it refers to the young Marcos and never of their beloved. Not even could it refer to the other contenders.

 

Now, where lies the purported neutrality or non-partisanship with that uncalled for branding? 

 

Not to be overshadowed in man's memory is that on February 22, 1986, the late Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin has "called on Filipinos to flock to EDSA near Camp Aguinaldo, to support two senior officials who had just withdrawn support for Marcos – Juan Ponce Enrile and Fidel Ramos. Three days after his appeal, Marcos was ousted through a bloodless revolt". 

 

The good cleric is known to be closely associated with the late Archbishop that it may be asked, for the sake of curiosity sans malice: Does it scare them enough that the delusion of so called EDSA I, would be further emphasized as nothing but a charade, and the exposé will be sealed with the defeat of the favored candidate that represents the "yellow fever" of the '80s? 

 

Long gone is the epoch of the regime of the First Estate that maneuvers under the guise of guardianship of morality, justice, and decency. The citizens have awakened and on their own can intelligently weigh alternatives from all perspective, of the truth viz lies veiled before the dawn of the social media. The people are no longer ignorant, helpless, and hooded  from the truth.

 

The Church should not forget that not all actions of man, both the clergy and the laity, are in consonance with God's Holy Will, as we may see in the life of St. Rita of Casia. The Saint was several times rejected from entering the monastic life but was miraculously admitted to Maddalena Convent of Cascia with the intercession of St. John the Baptist, St. Augustine, and St. Nicolas de Tolentino.

 

it won't be surprising therefore that the favored candidate will still lose the Presidency despite all the blessings, rituals, and endorsements, more so that she is motivated by antipathy, driven by hatred,  and the desire of her handlers to preserve the status quo where they owe their comfortable survival. 

 

At this point, the quote of Pope Paul VI by Fr. Leonardo Sapienza in his book "La barca di Paolo“ (The Barque of Paul) finds contemporary relevance. 

 

"It’s June 29, 1972. Paul VI has a clearer impression that there is something deep and negative that is increasingly afflicting the Church. The path toward secularization and the lack of internal unity is becoming two great problems for the Church throughout the world.

 

'The Saintly pope, concerned, writes:

 

'… We would say that through some mysterious crack—no, it’s not mysterious; through some crack, the smoke of Satan has entered the Church of God. There is doubt, uncertainty, problems, unrest, dissatisfaction, confrontation...'Christ, His teaching, and His church are, nevertheless, victorious, and deviousness such as perpetrated by these present-day Judas will fall just as he did."