7 Iloilo bishops, 12 priests buck circular

ILOILO CITY — Seven Catholic bishops and 12 priests are questioning a circular issued by Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo requiring parish priests to retire at the age of 65.

In a letter to Lagdameo on Jan. 12, Msgr. Enrique Perez, parish priest of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in La Paz town, said the archbishop’s circular dated Jan. 3 violates the rights of priests as provided for under the Canon Law.

In a statement of protest, the archdiocesan bishops and priests are asking Lagdameo to revoke the circular which prescribes "that the age of obligatory retirement from being parish priest shall be 65, without excluding new possibilities of continuing pastoral ministry expressed."

However, Perez, a canon lawyer and one of the protesting priests, said the circular contravenes the Canon Law which states that a parish priest who reaches 75 years old "is requested to offer his resignation from office to the diocesan bishop, who after considering all the circumstances of person and place is to decide whether to accept or defer it."

Perez said Lagdameo ignored other canonical directives when he issued the controversial circular.

He cited Canon 50 which states that "before issuing an individual decree, an authority should seek out the necessary information and proofs, and also hear those whose rights can be injured, insofar as this is possible."

Perez said the priests want Lagdameo to revoke the circular and hold a new round of consultations with the archdiocesan bishops and priests.

If Lagdameo would ignore their request, the protesting priests would remain in their parishes "for as long as" the Canon Law permits, he added.

Perez said he suspects the circular had "something to do" with Lagdameo’s plan to reshuffle the parish priests and replace the senior ones with new priests.

Lagdameo has not yet replied to Perez’s letter, a copy of which was also sent to Apostolic Nuncio Antonio Franco.

In two letters to Franco, Perez sought the help of the Vatican’s envoy to appeal to Catholic Church authorities for Lagdameo to recall his circular.

"For and behalf of these priests, I am appealing for your Excellency’s attention and consideration ... We are only trying to avail (ourselves) of the legal channels of the Catholic Church and to defend our rights and good name," Perez stated.

Perez said that when priests retire, they receive no benefits from the Catholic Church, the Social Security System or the Government Service Insurance System.

Although retired priests can stay at the St. Vincent Seminary, there are no provisions for them to stay in a church-run home for the aged or avail themselves of other benefits for their care, he added.

Of the 136 parish priests in the Archdiocese of Jaro, he said 13 are nearing the age of 65, and once Lagdameo’s circular takes effect, they would no longer be allowed to serve as pastors.

Besides Perez, the other protesting priests are Monsignors Jose Diva, Pedro Esmalla, Felipe Palomo, Nemesio Espinosa, Sergio Jamoyot and Juanito Ma. Tuvilla, and Fathers Antonio Anino, Evaristo Ablona, Francisco Parreno, Quirino Palma Jr., Celestino Sagra, Tomas Delicana, Jesus Cabalum, Eleuterio Carton, Emmanuel Escanlar, Francisco Gabriel, Noe Losada and Sulpicio Basa Jr.