Viewpoint
Beyond the deadwood
By Juan L. MercadoThe secret is “busting out all over,” as a 1956 Broadway tune puts it. The Vatican isn’t talking. Neither is the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
The secret is “busting out all over,” as a 1956 Broadway tune puts it. The Vatican isn’t talking. Neither is the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
“Mamma mia!” cried Sister Walburga, a polyglot nun from Germany as lights went on in the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. “Habemus Papam.” People massed in the piazza cheered as the new Pontiff, clad in simple white cassock, stepped forward. “Buona serra,” he began. “Good evening…”
My favorite priest is also a storyteller. I strongly recommend his works of fiction as the most enjoyable way to understand the message of Jesus, and to learn about Christianity and Catholicism—which are not the same—in the world today. I am referring to the fantastically prolific (66 novels), earthy, funny, romantic, and saintly Irish-American priest, Andrew M. Greeley.
The most poignant, and ironic, commentary on Pope Benedict XVI resigning was not how it shocked the world. It was how it did not. If you belong to the faithful, of course, which most of the people of this country do, it was the most shocking thing in the world. At the very least [...]
Joseph Ratzinger’s rise to the papacy in 2005 was preceded by a reputation for die-hard conservatism. This was no doubt in part due to his having headed for more than two decades the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the powerful Vatican body that draws the orthodox line on doctrinal matters. Yet, as Pope, [...]
The story is told about two old friends, a Jewish rabbi and a Catholic priest, who were having dinner together. “This baked ham is delicious! I know it is against your religion, but you are missing a lot!” said the priest, teasing his friend. The rabbi looked at the priest with a big grin, and said: “OK. I will eat pork, on the day you get married!”
The story is told about a husband who was boasting to his friends: “You know, in my house I am the king, and whenever my wife and I have a quarrel, my wife does the kneeling!” Upon overhearing this, the wife said: “You know why I kneel down? I kneel down to look for him under our bed where he is hiding!”
This is a rejoinder to the letter “Editorial hailed Catholicism in the Philippines as it should be” (Inquirer, 11/7/11), where the writer, Charito Maranan-Montecillo, said she was “glad that the Inquirer took the initiative to explain to our readers the processes of beatification and canonization in the wake of the forthcoming canonization of Blessed Pedro Calungsod.”
I am catholic and a Catholic, or I choose and try to be. Universality is catholic, and love is Catholicism. I had no choice but to be baptized, hardly any choice but to be confirmed, did not know if I had a choice to confess and then take Holy Communion – all of these happening [...]
In her June 5 column, Rina Jimenez-David talks about divorce. She touches on the “Malta case,” where a majority of the 98-percent Catholic population voted for divorce. Now comes our Pinoy gaya-gaya bandwagon mentality. David asks, “If Malta can fall in step with the rest of the world, why can’t the Philippines? And what is [...]
