The phenomenal Brother Mike

Last Saturday I joined my cousin, Leyte Congressman Martin Romualdez and another cousin, Parañaque Congressman Ed Zialcita together with my “de facto” boss at The Philippine STAR, QC Mayor Sonny Belmonte, MMDA chairman Bayani Fernando and his lovely wife, Marikina mayor Marides Fernando and other prominent people for the 24th anniversary of the El Shaddai movement.

It was a rather festive occasion, and it was my first time to attend such a gathering. Over the years I have always wanted to find out what makes Brother Mike tick and what El Shaddai is all about. I have heard stories about a sea of people gathering at the Luneta every Saturday, and to see is to believe. And lo and behold – it was indeed amazing to witness a sea of people at the Luneta. It was actually a bigger occasion than usual since it was also a celebration of Brother Mike’s 69th birthday (which falls tomorrow).

Going to Luneta was extremely difficult with the horrendous traffic just to get to the Grandstand. People from all over the country have been flocking to the place since Friday evening, and it took us almost an hour just to get to the Luneta Grandstand. The information I have is that El Shaddai has a solid local base of five million with a membership of over eight million worldwide who are fervent advocates of the teachings of Brother Mike and El Shaddai.

Now I understand the kind of influence Brother Mike has, with politicians and other leaders eager to seek his advice. I am also told Ka Erdie Manalo of the Iglesia ni Cristo and Brother Mike both have high regard for each other. Just imagine this – combined, the two religious leaders command a following of about 20 million which is obviously a solid voting block.

Every year, GMA never fails to attend the El Shaddai anniversary, and understandably so considering the vast influence and following of Brother Mike. However, not too many people know that Brother Mike has known GMA for a long time, and that the former First Lady, Doña Eva Macapagal, had asked the El Shaddai leader to “please take care” of her daughter – which Brother Mike has promised to do. Everyone knows GMA takes into heart the advice of Brother Mike so perhaps she will listen to him now and follow his advice not to push for Charter Change before 2010.

GMA was in a great mood that night, and so was everyone. Unfortunately, the joyous occasion was marred by the homily of retired bishop Teodoro Bacani. The El Shaddai faithful mostly come from the poor, and they are there to listen to a message of hope and encouragement, eager to savor words and teachings from the Bible that would help them get through life’s everyday trials. I understand this is what El Shaddai is all about.

But instead, the “good” bishop – who is supposed to be the spiritual adviser of El Shaddai – delivered a message of hate and anger, practically calling GMA a devil as he was fomenting anger among the listeners. Like many who were there, I found his “homily” absolutely tasteless, disgusting and inappropriate.

It was rather hypocritical of Bishop Bacani to launch an attack against GMA. Let’s not forget that five years ago, he figured in a sexual harassment scandal allegedly committed against his former secretary – for which he apologized saying he was “deeply sorry for the consequences of any inappropriate expression of affection to my secretary.” The scandal reached such worldwide proportions which many believe must have triggered his resignation from the church. I guess he has forgotten about this, but many people remember it very well. And let’s not forget what Jesus Christ said: “He who is without sin, cast the first stone.”

But one thing I remember correctly – the president showed the “good” bishop compassion by urging people not to be quick in passing judgment and condemnation against him, telling them not to dwell on rumors and speculations.

At the height of Ferdinand Marcos’ unpopularity, the late Cardinal Sin would publicly admonish Marcos but he would still show respect to the office of the president. GMA was supposed to deliver a speech that night but she opted not to do so. I can understand how she must have felt at the assault not only against the presidency but against her person. But as usual, Brother Mike’s calming voice and quietly reassuring presence relieved everyone, and the rest of the night went smoothly.

We all have differences in our political beliefs and religious convictions. But the Church is a place of worship, and people attend congregations to listen to the Word of God, to be edified and encouraged by the teachings of Christ according to the Bible. But when people are told things which sow hatred and anger rather than love, compassion and all the Christian virtues taught in the Bible, this is when things start to get iffy.

In Europe, many people are beginning to turn away from the Catholic faith. In fact, a lot of churches have been closed down and turned into restaurants and discos. Just recently, the US was rocked by revelations of sexual abuses by Catholic priests over the years – for which Pope Benedict apologized for. The Pope had also admonished priests to refrain from using the pulpit for politics.

In this country, faith is what keeps people going. It is a strong pillar that encourages them to strive on, keeping their hopes alive. Perhaps the calming voice of a lay leader with the charisma, authority and influence of the phenomenal Brother Mike Velarde is what many people are looking for in this country.

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