PHILIPPINES
Sun.Star
By Noemi C. Fetalvero
Two empty bottles
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
RELIGION and faith are two intertwined subjects that may be considered very personal to an individual. Although I am taking a personal stance on the matter, I am sure hundreds of parishioners are affected by a certain issue.
Since the Archdiocese of Cebu decided to give clergymen under its pastoral care a second chance (meaning those priests found to have broken their vows, given a different parish assignment instead of being suspended). The consideration, I believe, has been abused by some priests.
In Jan. 16, I went to see Archbishop of Cebu Jose Palma to report a priest assigned in the southern part of Cebu who, I believe, was living a double life. In some days of the week, the clergyman functions as a parish priest. However, from Mondays through Wednesdays he is a regular visitor of a residential house where he is being introduced to neighbors as a husband and a father of two children. The children are both adults now.
Palma said he will look into it, saying that the church follows a certain protocol with regards to matters like these.
Months have passed and Bishop Palma has not met with the Board of Consultors who will create the investigating body to make the inquiry vis-à-vis the report.
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