Nalzaro: Minglanilla Priests, Lay Ministers Reconcile

By Bobby Nalzaro
Sun.Star
February 11, 2012

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/opinion/2012/02/11/nalzaro-minglanilla-priests-lay-ministers-reconcile-205458

ALL'S well that ends well, so to speak. The Team Ministry of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Minglanilla and lay ministers who demanded the transfer of the priests for committing immoral acts have reconciled.

This following a dialogue with Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma last Monday at the Cebu Catholic Television Network (CCTN) compound under the auspices of brother Dodong Limchua, who heads the Oasis of Love, a charismatic group associated with the Catholic Church.

In that dialogue, the priests headed by their team moderator, Fr. Scipio “Jojo” Deligero, promised the lay ministers and the acolytes that they can resume serving the church.

The Team Ministry did not allow the lay ministers and the acolytes to serve during masses following an expose by altar boys of the immoral acts committed by two priests. One priest was accused of having sex with two women at the back of the church. The other was accused of sexually harassing two altar boys after a drinking session.

The first priest has already been “reprocessed” or rehabilitated and is already out of the parish. The second priest is still in the parish and was reportedly one of the causes of conflict between some parishioners and the Team Ministry. He used the pulpit to lambast their detractors.

The priests and the lay ministers may have reconciled but the issues confronting the priests who committed immoral acts have been left un-acted by the Church hiirarchy.

Why was the second priest not disciplined? What about the demand of some parishioners for the proper accounting of the donations received by the Team Ministry?

Did the donations go to the church coffers or did these instead go to the priests’ pockets? The failure of the priests to render a proper accounting of the donations triggered the resignation of the previous members of the Parish Pastoral Council.

What about Fr. Jojo’s alleged links to a multi-million-peso resort development in the mountain barangays of Minglanilla? The project will displace several farmer-beneficiaries of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

Do church officials allow priests to be used by interested parties for personal and business gain? Will church officials play deaf to this undertaken because the developer is a church benefactor who donated millions of pesos to the parish?

For me, this is an insult to the church and to the Catholic religion. Fr. Jojo should resign from priesthood and enter into a business venture with his benefactor. Members of the Team Ministry had committed sins and were given the chance to reform. Some of them continued to commit sins, however.

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Gov. Gwen Garcia wants the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) to investigate Danilo Cogtas, a radio blocktimer who allegedly shouted the word “tsunami” a few hours after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit Cebu last Monday and triggered a panic.

I am no longer an active member of the KBP but in my humble opinion, the organization has no jurisdiction over Cogtas. This is because Cogtas did not use radio or the airlanes to commit a questionable act. The broadcast regulatory body can only take cognizance of a violation committed by a broadcaster when he uses the airlanes.

All provisions in the television and radio Code formulated by the KBP deal with “on air” violations of erring broadcasters. Cogtas did that on his personal capacity and not as a broadcaster. Ang KBP dili maka-imbestigar og usa ka broadcaster nga gibugno sa iyang asawa kay nasakpan nga nakigkuyog sa uyab, gawas lang kun mag-away sila on air.

Contact: bobby.nalzaro@yahoo.com