Rodolfo Noel ‘Jun’ Lozada hit the Catholic Church for canceling the Mass for Truth scheduled at the Birhen sa Regla Parish in Lapu-Lapu City last night.
“When they failed to kill me last January, I was swarmed with harassment dahil ayaw nila makarating ang aking kwento sa maraming tao. Kahit sa pagsimba may harassment, hindi ko alam, meron palang Archdiocese of Malacañang dito. Pumunta kami dito dahil gusto namin makapagnilay-nilay but they cancelled all the masses for us, hindi ko alam hanggang dito pala sakop ng Malacañang,” Lozada said in front of the people attending “Stand up for Truth: A forum with Jun Lozada” at the USC Gym.
Lozada added that he is saddened that the Christian community tolerates corruption. “Pag tinotolerate mo, it’s just like your participating in it,” he said.
Proving Lozada’s claims Sister Estrella Castalone of the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines said that they were informed that masses for Lozada have already been cancelled.
“Our initial program includes a mass of the parish with religious priests, but the priests backed out. We have already received reports that they have been prohibited to celebrate masses,” Castalone said.
“I haven’t heard from the Cardinal (Vidal), I do not believe that the Cardinal has something to do with this but something happened somewhere,” Castalone told reporters yesterday.
Reacting to the comment, the Archdiocese of Cebu denied prohibiting priests from saying masses for Lozada.
“That is absolutely not true. There is no such directive. There is no order or note verbale to that effect,” Cebu Archdiocese Spokesperson Msgr. Achilles Dakay said in an interview.
Dakay said the priests of Cebu, who the nuns of the Association of the Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines (AMRSP) claimed had refused to officiate a mass for Lozada, were acting on their own.
He said that contrary to those claims, Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal and his priests all welcome Lozada to Cebu.
“Our doors here are all open for him [Lozada],” said Dakay.
Reacting to Lozada’s statement, Dakay said that Lozada was quick to correct that he was just joking when he said that the Cebu Archdiocese is an Archdiocese of Malacañang.
“The more he jokes, the less he becomes credible,” Dakay said.
The Presbyteral Council of the Archdiocese of Cebu has issued a statement on the allegations against Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal.
Msgr. roberto alesna, secretary of presbyteral council said that the council wishes to unequivocally state that our beloved archbishop did not in any way prevent any priest in the Archdiocese of Cebu to say mass at gatherings organized for Mr. Rodolfo Noel Lozada in Cebu
“In our communal search for truth, there is a need for prudence in our words and actions because truth will not be served if we make claims that are not backed up by facts.”
At a time when reputations are vilified at anybody's whim, we stand solidly behind our Archbishop who has prudently guided the Archdiocese of Cebu during his 26 years of stewardship.
In Monday’s forum that ended around noontime, he shared with students of the University of San Carlos the three lessons he learned from the controversial National Broadband Network deal.
These are:
* To help others tell the truth.
* To not tolerate corruption.
* To not to be part of corruption by choosing to expose the truth.
When sought for comment on the withdrawal of the Church’s support for his cause due to his questionable campus tour, Lozada reiterated his stand of not wanting to be a party to corruption anymore.
He said he is instead choosing what is right, which is to reveal the truth about the government through a campus tour, among other means.
Lozada called on the youth to remain vigilant and relentless in the fight against corruption not only in government but wherever they may find themselves.
“Corruption has robbed us of the hope for a better life. Let us not stop in our quest for the truth,” he said.
The forum “Stand Up for the Truth, Be the Change You want to see,” was organized by the USC Sociology-Anthropology Department in coordination with the USC Political Science department, National Union of People’s Lawyers, and other youth groups of the city. —(/NLQ)