e had a feeling this was coming. In his first major speech in the Philippines, Pope Francis called for an end to scandalous inequalities in the country.And what better example of a scandalous inequality is there than that a preposterously ridiculous wedding of Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera which was officiated by 8 bishops and 7 priests. In addition, this crass wedding featured a 12-foot high wedding cake, a 2-million-peso wedding gown with an exaggeratedly long train that seemed to go on forever...you get the picture. And since the average Filipino subsists on a shockingly paltry $2 a day, what could be more scandalously inequitable than that? And besides, why did this couple need 8 bishops and 7 priests to marry them? Were they so horribly sinful that a single priest would not suffice and they need the intersession of all those priests and bishops to receive the blessing from above? Hopefully, that was not the case. More likely the priests—especially the bishops were simply used as props to make a shamefully grand wedding appear even more grand. Now that Pope Francis himself has pointed out this particular Filipino failing, we hope that the leaders of the Catholic Church here in the Philippines take heed and forbid anything resembling the Dantes-Rivera wedding from taking place inside one of their churches ever again. Besides the era of over-the-top ostentatious displays of wealth went out of style almost a hundred years ago when the Rockefellers, the Astors, the Hearsts, the Vanderbilts, the Morgans and all the other American moguls who could easily afford to spend a fortune on whatever they wanted, gradually came to the realization that such showing off in public was simply in bad taste. If there is a mission to Pope Francis papacy, it would be to refocus the church to serve the poor. Unfortunately, for too long, the Catholic clergy in the Philippines has made it a point to cozy-up to the rich and powerful. All that must now change. And it will be the collective responsibility of the laity to see to it that Philippine church officials stay true to that mission. The sheep must now keep an eye on the shepherd. And if our local shepherds begin to backslide, you can rest assured that the pope will hear about it all the way in the Vatican. Thank you Pope Francis! Published 1/16/2015 Philnews reserves the right to select and edit comments for publication. Comments from Our Readers (Topic: Pope Francis Admonishes Pinoys to End Scandalous Inequalities) Name: Hit&Run City/State/Country: ONTHEROAD IP Address: 98.91.26.155 Comments On his Eminences first mass in the Philippines, he must first hear the confessions of all government thieves who are siphoning the national treasury, in any way crookedly possible, of funds and re-channeling the money into their personal accounts. Their names range from A to Z and you all know who they are. Name: Jorge Villanueva City/State/Country: Canada IP Address: 142.134.106.125 Comments There is a visceral interest to see how Pope Francis can effect a change in the Philippines. When the Vicar of Christ asked for a change in the social inequality and the culture of corruption , he hit the crux of what ails the heart of Catholicism in Asia. The Filipino faithful who gathered in millions heard it, the world heard it too as everything that pertains to the Pope is circulated all over in minutes. But, did the politicians and those made millions through corruption listening? I seriously doubt of a positive answer. Name: HMSomeone City/State/Country: USA IP Address: 74.77.36.177 Comments In fairness to the Bishops they cozy up to the rich & powerful because the D/E classes of Filipinos are hopelessly unsalvageable. Here we are talking about a Royal Wedding on a country as poor as the PHL and you would think that the most offended inhabitants would be the poorest - the D/E classes. WRONG. They are the very ones giving this disgusting wedding a 5-Star, 2-Thumbs-Up rating! So the Bishops take the easy way out. They are Filipinos after all. They cozy up to the disgustingly rich and the pathetically showy. There lies the absurdity. Name: JRH City/State/Country: Montreal, Quebec IP Address: 70.83.4.90 Comments Simply put, Pope Francis (Lolo Kiko) is the peoples Pope. Hes greatly admired for his holiness & humility. Also known for his pastoral dedication for the poor. During his visit, not once have we seen him wear the regal red robe, ride an official papal car, show aloofness, etc. His message is simple & very clear...help the poor & get rid of corruption. Theres no need to elaborate any further. Follow what hes preaching & our country might be going to a better path & bright future, God willing, in the coming years.
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 07:52:10 +0000