Bacani back, to grace El Shaddai anniversary tonight

Novaliches Bishop Teodoro Bacani is back for good and he will make his first public appearance at the 19th anniversary celebration of the El Shaddai at midnight tonight.

Bacani will concelebrate the 11 p.m. Mass with incoming Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Davao Archbishop Fernando Capalla, said Mel Robles, spokesman for the Catholic-charismatic El Shaddai. Bacani was a no-show at the installation yesterday of the first bishop of the newly created Caloocan Diocese despite reports he would attend the event due to his close ties to the community when he was still auxiliary bishop of Manila.

Robles said politicians are welcome to the celebration at the Quirino Grandstand at Rizal Park in Manila, though the El Shaddai did not invite anybody. Bacani is the spiritual adviser of El Shaddai.

Bacani’s spokesman, Msgr. Romulo Rañada said he has spoken with Bacani over the phone. "He will be here for good but, right now, (Bacani) would rather maintain a low profile." "(Bacani) is happy to be back," Rañada said, adding that "like all of us, he is also waiting for the result of the investigation (into the sexual harassment charges filed against Bacani). Until that time, he would keep a low profile."

Meanwhile, with the May 2004 national election approaching, politicians are beginning to show up more conspicuously at religious gatherings, seemingly to woo support from the influential church for their respective political camps. All three mayors and three congressmen of the city and municipalities within the new diocese’s jurisdiction were present at the installation of Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez.

Also there were early presidential contender Eduardo Cojuangco, reelectionist Sen. Robert Barbers, Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon, Sonia Roco, wife of presidential aspirant Raul Roco and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chairman Felicito Payumo.

The number of politicians present at yesterday’s rites was far larger than the number of politicians present at the installation of pioneering Pasig Diocese Bishop Francisco San Diego, despite the fact that Pasig City is closer to the more affluent parts of the Greater Manila area.

The Caloocan diocese covers the municipalities of Malabon and Navotas, populated mainly by poor residents.

"It is very obvious (why politicians are here). They have to make themselves conspicuous (for the coming elections)," said Bishop Ramon Arguelles, the outspoken bishop for the military, who was present at the Caloocan rites.

"This is supposed to be a church gathering, but (the politicians) are taking the upper stage," Arguelles said, adding that the people should be educated further as to how to choose their leaders and who to vote for.

Bishop Iñiguez, formerly of the Diocese of Zambales, also took note of the large number of politicians present at his installation, but called it a "good omen" for the purpose of unifying his new diocese. Ranking officials from other religious groups were also present at the ceremony.

Gifts in cash and kind also abounded from the politicians and wealthy donors.

In his homily, Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin challenged the new diocese to be a "church of the poor." Ironically, the crowd at the ceremony was peopled with wealthy parishioners.

Reservations for prime seats at the Caloocan City ceremony sold for P2,000. Parishioners who reserved seats were set apart by adornment: A pendant suspended from a yellow ribbon.