CBCP Promises: No More Pajero Bishops

[Altis6453]

My favorite pseudo-political party has a new tack and a new leader:

From abs-cbnnews.com:

CBCP promises Pope: No more 'Pajero bishops'

by Ira Pedrasa, ABS-CBNnews.com

Posted at 07/08/2013 6:24 PM | Updated as of 07/08/2013 7:20 PM


MANILA - Church leaders on Monday welcomed Pope Francis’ call to be simple and humble by ditching flashy cars.

Incoming Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) President and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said church leaders only accept things that are for the benefit of lay people.

“Kami ay nabubuhay para sa kapakanan ng ibang tao, kaya wala kami gagamitin na para sa aming sariling ginhawa sapagkat nung kami naging pari, niyakap na namin ang buhay ng sakripisyo. Kasama na rito ang hindi pag-aasawa, iwanan ang aming pamilya at iba pang sakripisyo (We entered the priesthood knowing that we will sacrifice a lot),” he said on the sidelines of the plenary assembly of the CBCP in Manila.

On Saturday (Sunday in Manila), Pope Francis gave another glimpse of his leadership style by saying it pained him to see priests driving expensive cars.

“It hurts me when I see a priest or a nun with the latest model car, you can't do this,” he said. “A car is necessary to do a lot of work, but please, choose a more humble one…If you like the fancy one, just think about how many children are dying of hunger in the world.”

During the Arroyo administration, several leaders of the Catholic church in the Philippines were criticized for asking money from the government so they could buy SUVs.

Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) chairperson Margarita Juico alleged former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo used state lottery funds to get support from church leaders.

Some admitted to having expensive cars, saying they used these vehicles to o go to far-flung areas. They were tagged later as the so-called “Pajero bishops”.

There has not been any update on the case, even after the Senate launched an investigation into the matter.
Some alleged, however, that several bishops still live in luxury.

Villegas said: “One of the principles we should follow is that we should not expose wounds without binding them. It’s like taking pictures of victims instead of rushing them to the emergency room. Make sure that if you expose the wounds of others, make sure that you have done something to bind them…so that the wounds become signs of hopes, signs of wellness in the future.”

Villegas will sit as head of the CBCP in December 2013.

Outgoing President and Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma said he will focus on a big Catholic event in 2016, which is expected to be attended by Pope Francis.

“We in the church, when we are given a position, it does not make us taller it just gives us longer hands so we could embrace more people. So when Archbishop Palma became president two years ago, he did not grow in height, he was not given a special chair, but the Lord gave him longer hands so that he could embrace more people beyond Cebu,” Villegas said.

'CBCP president different from PH president'

He said people should look at the presidency of the CBCP differently.

He said it is unlike being the president of the Philippines.

“Ang president ng CBCP is like a coordinator of all the bishops, so the president does not set any agenda, the president does not even set the vision. We are all bishops and it is the bishops’ conference that sets the direction. The president is at the service of the conference. So you have to shift your paradigm because it’s not like the president of the school, or corporation, or government…”

Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, Villegas said “there goes my people I must follow them. So the president must follow the bishops.”

Just a thought, Bishop Villegas: If you say that the President of the CBCP does not set any agenda or vision, maybe you can hit a refresh button and stop the CBCP and its bishops from meddling in politics --- and stop asking for vehicle donations for personal use.

[shadow]

montero or fortuner na lang daw

[andywesteast]

montero or fortuner na lang daw

Catholic church = ONE BIG BUSINESS

[black ice]

Catholic church = ONE BIG BUSINESS

meron bang religion ang di ginagawang negosyo?

[ghosthunter]

montero or fortuner na lang daw

They will settle for CRVs and RAV4s....

[Monseratto]

It's human nature to want a taste of the good life.... being a man of the cloth doesn't exempt them.

[Altis6453]

According to Bishop Soc Villegas when asked if some Bishops still maintain luxurious lifestyles, one should not merely expose the wound without binding them.

So, pagtatakpan nalang nila, ganun? The problem with these Bishops is that, unlike your ordinary buwaya in Congress, they are not answerable to an electorate and neither are they subject to the jurisdiction of the Ombudsman and Sandiganbayan if they happen to benefit from public funds from some corrupt government official.

Yet, they have no hesistation immersing themselves and thrusting themselves in the middle of politics, local or national.

[111prez]

No more Pajero clergy, NYAHAHAHAHA! :rofl:

Kung seryoso sila, pati yung mga binigay at napakinabangan noon isoli din

[K.I.L.L.]

The Roman Catholic church is losing thousands of followers every year. If I were a priest, I would focus on winning back the hearts of people instead of meddling in politics. They're supposed to be spiritual guardians and not state guardians. Looking back at the past, how different are the priests of today from the priests that Jose Rizal wrote about?

[ghosthunter]

The Roman Catholic church is losing thousands of followers every year. If I were a priest, I would focus on winning back the hearts of people instead of meddling in politics. They're supposed to be spiritual guardians and not state guardians. Looking back at the past, how different are the priests of today from the priests that Jose Rizal wrote about?

Not much different. In fact, you could transplant them between then and now, no one will notice the difference.

At least the Jesuits at my school was much better in focusing on religion and never even bothered to speak of politics.