A media luncheon with Arch. Jose Palma

Early yesterday morning, a day after Christmas Day, I got a call from Msgr. Dadi Silva asking me to join a simple luncheon with Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma at the Chancery. First of all, his staff gave out Arch. Palma’s New Year’s message, but since we are having a New Year’s or January 1st issue, I will just reprint his New Year’s message in that column.

Anyway, when I got to the Archbishop’s Palace, the presscon was already ongoing and when it was my turn to ask my question, I asked his Excellency whether as President of the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) he and the CBCP was appraised of the realities that the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) was misused in the last May 2010 elections and that this same system will be used in the coming 2013 elections?

I asked this question because the CBCP has yet to come up with their statement on this issue. There was a clear and grave defect in the PCOS machines, which was already presented by the Computer Society of the Philippines and I felt that it was time that the Catholic Church came up with their stand on this issue.

Arch. Palma gave me this reply, “Thank you for asking that question, I’m sure this coming January, that issue will be evaluated… that there were a lot of defects in the PCOS machine whether that issue will be evaluated, whether that was a determining factor we will have to find this out. I for one I’m not ashamed to say that I also believe that there was so much defect in the PCOS machines, it has to be established.”

During the luncheon, we were in the table with Arch. Palma, Bishop Antonio Rañola, Bro. Tatay Dodong Limchua and Msgr. Dadi Silva and our discussion was about why we lost the vote on the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill.  Arch. Palma noticed that I was still saddened by this loss, but he had the faith and confidence that in the end, God’s will would prevail.

I unashamedly told Arch. Palma that even during my visits to the Blessed Sacrament, I felt that the Lord was a far distance away and was silent. However, it did dawn upon me that when I said that, it reminded me of our Lord praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus felt that God had abandoned him…which is why he shouted on the cross, “My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?” But in the end, Christ’s death on the cross was not abandonment by God, but it resulted to his greater glory in conquering death and gave us life eternal.

Call me blessed that this luncheon with Arch. Palma with the members of the media resulted in a new confidence in me… that there is more work to be done for us Catholics and the Holy Mother church. During the presscon, one question asked of Arch. Palma was… who would replace defrocked Msgr. Cristobal Garcia. Arch. Palma pointed out that his work was cut out for him… that there will be ministries that need new heads. It was then that we elucidated to the Cebu Prelate the need for a cleansing of the Catholic hierarchy from priests or bishops that sowed confusion in our struggle to keep the RH Bill from being approved in Congress.

I also told our friends with us in the table with Arch. Palma that I personally believe that the great debate about the RH Bill was the best thing that happened to the Catholic Church for it eventually revealed to us what otherwise we would have never known… that there are so many Catholics who no longer believe in the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. They have become what Msgr. Antonio Rañola said sheep in wolf’s clothing. Arch. Palma agreed that it was time to separate the chaff from the grain and we hope that the year 2013 will be a different year for the Catholic Church.

We will have elections in the Year 2013 and if we Catholics voted for pro-life Congressmen, regardless of their political party, then we might gain more seats in the House of Representatives enough for the new Congress to work on the repeal of the RH Bill. This is something that the Catholic Church is looking forward in the New Year 2013. But there’s more work to be done not only by the CBCP but also for the lay groups.

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We just learned that our dear friend, former Bohol Governor and currently second District Representative Rep. Enrico Aumentado passed on to eternal life on Christmas Day. I last met him during the inauguration of the Bellevue Resort Hotel in Panglao last Nov.25. I never realized that it would be our last meeting. I dare say that he was amongst the greatest governors of Bohol who ushered in Bohol’s Tourism growth and development. May we ask the pious reader to please pray for the repose of his soul.

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