CTALK By Cito Beltran (The Philippine Star) Updated September 07, 2012 12:00 AM
Never threaten people with a water pistol, they may have a bucket full of water with your name on it.
There has been a lot of talk about how some Bishops, university officials or the CBCP have called for an investigation of Ateneo University professors who chose to support the RH Bill in defiance of the Catholic Church stand against it. To put some teeth to their bark some reportedly suggested that those found guilty should be “excommunicated” from the Catholic Church.
So far I have not heard of any penitents crawling to the CBCP ready to be flogged for their “error in judgment.” Truth be told, the move or the suggestion for excommunication has actually added to the list of shortcomings or problems that the Catholic Church has that makes it “out of touch,” “irrelevant” and perhaps at times even “irrational.”
Please let me make it clear that this article is not meant to bash the Catholic Church, but merely to share feedback I have received, actual observations as well as publicly known facts that in my opinion should have long been recognized and acted upon by the Catholic Church. It is also an accounting of developments and incidents that in a very general way has led to a growing separation of Church and flock.
To begin with the threat of excommunication used to work wonders on “believers” whose social status, employment, wealth and property holdings were beholden to the politically powerful feudal lords in robes during the time of Jose Rizal and prior to American colonization. The threat of excommunication used to be a potent threat for people who blindly followed man-made rules that replaced the supremacy of God’s word. The threat used to be powerful when excommunication was also equal to being a social outcast and being thrown out of a village, a home and a family.
But today, excommunication hardly qualifies as a real threat. Because of their own doing, Filipino church leaders have eroded what used to be the fervent faith of Filipinos, purely on the fact that they did not practice what they preached.
In practical terms, one could say that it is the Catholic Church or many of its representatives who have managed to excommunicate the church itself from its parishioners. It began when priests and seminarians developed leftist leanings and eventually evolved into a rebellious clergy in the ’70s, ascending to a highly politicized body against a dictatorship but forgetting or losing track of its priority, which was to spread the gospel, translating it to practical applications in uplifting our fellowmen.
From its success in leading the EDSA Revolution and toppling the Marcos dictatorship, the leaders of the Catholic church began to dabble or influence the affairs of government rather than realigning its politics with the gospel. Then came their sin of partaking in “food offered to idols” by way of accepting money from gambling lords, gambling institutions as well as politicians while owning vast track of lands, universities, large shares of stocks in many of the top corporations in the Philippines. Even at the parish level, a number of celebrity priests have been disowned by their own parishioners for living the life of their “rich and famous” parishioners.
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122*
146*
156
016
136
246**
026**
126**
269**
788
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027**
028**
016
Yesterday's Philippine PCSO Draw Results
For September 06, 2012 Thursday
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Morning 11am: 27-31
Afternoon 4pm: 24-12
Evening 9pm: 03-28
Winning numbers in exact order
Php 4,000.00 per 10 peso play
Suertres Lotto Luzon Vis-Min
Morning 11:00 am: 9-7-9
Afternoon 4:00 pm: 3-9-6
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Winning numbers in exact order
Php: 4,500 per 10 peso play
6Digit Luzon
9pm: 4-2-6-7-2-8
Winning numbers in exact order
6/42 National Lottery
19-06-21-29-33-37
Current Jackpot: Php 3,369,785.40
(0)winner
Winning numbers in any order
Super 6/49 Nationwide Lotto
42-12-16-48-02-19
Current Jackpot: Php 50,728,244.40
(0)winner
Winning numbers in any order
For best results, it is suggested to always employ rumble on the tips above.
* = Hot Numbers
** = Very Hot Numbers
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