Priest says Sen. Santiago deserves the ‘fires of hell’

[Monseratto]

Nakialam na naman...pwede i-subpoena?

By Tarra Quismundo
Philippine Daily Inquirer 5:12 pm | Saturday, March 3rd, 2012 41share640 595
MANILA, Philippines—She may be untouchable in the Senate, but before the eyes of God, Senator Miriam Santiago is liable to “the fires of hell,” a Roman Catholic priest said Saturday.

Decrying the senator’s court antics at Mass on Saturday, Fr. Catalino Arevalo, the spiritual adviser of the late former president Corazon Aquino, said Santiago should apologize publicly for repeatedly berating prosecutors at the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

“If you call anybody ‘You fool,’ you are worthy of the fires of hell. And she called them ‘gago,’ which is Filipino for fool, before millions of people,” Arevalo said in his first Saturday homily at the Edsa Shrine at noon.

“I did not say that. Jesus said that,” added Arevalo, the priest who gave the homily at Aquino’s funeral Mass in 2009.

Arevalo’s message was a reflection on the gospel the day before from Matthew 5:20: “But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, “You fool”, you will be liable to the hell of fire.”

His tone emphatic, Arevalo repeated his message to the senator without mentioning her name. And for publicly unleashing her sharp tongue, Santiago must repent, the priest said.

“Well, that was before millions of people. So she is, in conscience, bound to make a formal apology before millions of people if God will forgive her,” Arevalo later told the Inquirer in an interview.

“That’s the teaching of Jesus. You don’t do that, and if you do that, you have to retract it by making a formal apology before millions of people, otherwise you remain worthy of the fires of hell. I did not say that. Jesus said that,” he said.

Known for short temper on the Senate floor, Santiago figured in a verbal duel with private prosecutor Vitaliano Aguirre in the middle of trial on Wednesday, as the senator delivered another scathing attack on the prosecutions alleged lack of lawyering skills, calling them “gago” and describing them as brain-dead.

Aguirre, who had since quit the panel while facing contempt charges, was the first to stand up to Santiago on the floor, even covering his ears to shut off the senator’s “shrill voice.”

[Monseratto]

Santiago blasts priest over

She isn’t the type who would back down when challenged by a fellow politician or by a fellow lawyer. Neither would she when confronted by a man of the cloth.

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago on Sunday came out firing against a Catholic priest who criticized her for repeatedly scolding prosecutors over their supposed incompetence in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Santiago took exception to a remark by Fr. Catalino Arevalo in his homily suggesting she could be “worthy of the fires of hell,” particularly for referring to the prosecution team as gago (fool) during a trial session last week.

“The Constitution provides for a wall of separation between Church and State. A priest cannot violate the law in the guise of criticizing a senator-judge with the ulterior motive of promoting his own political agenda,” Santiago said in a statement.

Arevalo, a Jesuit in his 80s who is close to the family of President Benigno Aquino III, quoted Matthew 5:20 in taking a swipe at the mercurial senator: “But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement. And if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council. And if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the fires of hell.”

‘Publicity hound’

“I can engage in a public debate with the priest and we can exchange quotation for quotation from the Bible,” said Santiago, who holds a master’s degree from Maryhill School of Theology.

“But that would be foolish, because the Bible can be interpreted in as many ways as there are Christian churches.”

Santiago said Arevalo “sounds very much like a publicity hound,” claiming the priest had asked reporters to write about his homily.

“And I thought humility in spiritual matters is a virtue,” she said.

“The priest is saying that he is close to God and I’m not. I say to the priest, judge not, that you shall not be judged,” she added.


Both at fault

At Thursday’s trial, Santiago berated prosecutors for suddenly dropping five of the eight impeachment articles against Corona.

She was also incensed by the prosecution’s pronouncement that it now had “overwhelming” evidence to convict Corona, even if the defense was yet to argue its case.

Santiago was even more angered when a private prosecutor, Vitaliano Aguirre, covered his ears each time the senator took the floor. Aguirre was later cited for contempt.

Former Ambassador Roy Señeres, Aguirre’s former classmate at San Beda College’s law school, said Aguirre should not be punished, noting that while Aguirre was cited for contempt by the Senate, Santiago was never chided for calling the prosecutors fools.

“He and Senator Santiago are in pari delicto (equal in fault). Both committed contemptuous behavior. Aguirre should not be punished unless Santiago is punished also. If the Senate can’t punish Santiago, they might as well not punish Aguirre also. The entire Senate would be committing a contemptuous act if they punish Aguirre only,” Señeres said in a text message.

“The Senate should not commit an injustice upon Aguirre,” he added.

Aguirre has since quit the prosecution team. With a report from Jerome C. Aning

[Zeus]

Sagot ni Sen Santiago...[
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/03...-there-no-hell

[Monseratto]

As if the threats of hell and conservative public opinion would actually deter Brenda...

Btw, may Master of Arts in Religious Studies at the Maryhill School of Theology with an average grade of 1.25 si Lady Mirriam.

[Zeus]

As if the threats of hell and conservative public opinion would actually deter Brenda...

Btw, may Master of Arts in Religious Studies at the Maryhill School of Theology with an average grade of 1.25 si Lady Mirriam.

Oo nga bro, kaya mas masaya kung sumali siya sa mga religious talks dito

[Monseratto]

Hey Brenda, show some respect to the man of the cloth...as if.


^^^

In a statement, Santiago told Fr. Catalino Arevalo that under “[the Second Vatican Council], there is no hell; but even if there is, there is nobody there.”

“Under Vatican 2, the story of Genesis is no longer a historical fact but a myth. The Bible should not be read literally, but should be read in its Aramaic context. Unfortunately, some of the religious refuse to accept the changes started by Vatican 2,” she said.
"The priest is saying that he is close to God, and I’m not. I say to the priest, judge not, that you shall not be judged,” Santiago said.

The senator said she was told that the priest went around in order that his homily would be reported in the print media.

“It is like St. Paul writing letters to the Corinthians, and begging them to publicize his letters. This priest sounds very much like a publicity hound. And I thought humility in spiritual matters is a virtue,” she said.

“Under Vatican 2, priests and nuns should be treated like everyone else. They are not special people just because they have joined a religious community. It does not make them any more smarter or holier than you and me,” she said.

“I can engage in a public debate with the priest, and we can exchange quotation for quotation from the Bible. But that would be foolish, because the Bible can be interpreted in as many ways as there are Christian churches,” she said.

[Bin Diesel]

^ sabihin mo kay mirriam yan makakakita ka ng sumasabog na bulkan. lol.

[vinj]

^ sabihin mo kay mirriam yan makakakita ka ng sumasabog na bulkan. lol.

Pakitaan mo rin ng picture... ng Puno.

I'll reserve my comments on Fr. Arevalo though. He's a friend of our family and has been there through thick and thin. At his age, di rin siya pinabayaan ni Miriam. Baka mamaya, pati si Fr. Reuter, awayin niya. :D

[shadow]

Ngayon alam niya Kung Bakit dapat sumagot pag binabastos ka na, eh Bakit nagagalit siya dun Kay Aguirre nun sumagot?

Tit for tat...

If she can give, she should also willing to received

[Monseratto]

Ngayon alam niya Kung Bakit dapat sumagot pag binabastos ka na, eh Bakit nagagalit siya dun Kay Aguirre nun sumagot?

Tit for tat...

If she can give, she should also willing to received

Kasi sa imspitment court, or any court for that matter; the judge can lecture or admonish counsel, be it prosecution or defense. Counsel cannot do the same to a judge. Di ba sa umpisa pa lang ng imspitment, sinabihan na sila na bawal mag object at makipag argue ng counsel sa isang judge. Rules iyan. Sige kung papayag tayo sa ginawa kay Brenda ni Aguirre, pwede rin bastusin ni Cuevas yung mga Liberal Party judges like Drillon and Osmena...

[shadow]

Kasi sa imspitment court, or any court for that matter; the judge can lecture or admonish counsel, be it prosecution or defense. Counsel cannot do the same to a judge. Di ba sa umpisa pa lang ng imspitment, sinabihan na sila na bawal mag object at makipag argue ng counsel sa isang judge. Rules iyan. Sige kung papayag tayo sa ginawa kay Brenda ni Aguirre, pwede rin bastusin ni Cuevas yung mga Liberal Party judges like Drillon and Osmena...

But Aguirre was asked to explain, he told the truth now nagalit si Brenda, pag nangbola at nag deny magagalit din, once or twice ok Lang, but to do it repeatedly eh excessive na yun..admonish ok Lang but to call them gago is too much. Siya nga sinabihan Lang ng masakit Sa tenga Ang boses, halos ma heart attack na Sa galit eh

And besides there's a big difference sa ginawa ni Brenda Saka ni drilon and osmena..they don't embarassed the defense unlike Brenda. All they are doing is asked "clarificatory" questions...

Saka wait Lang defense pag timena nila mag present ng witness, evidense, judges will also do the asked question that will also deemed advantageous to them..

Saka Paano babastusin ni cuevas Si drillon and osmena hinde naman sila binabastos unlike Brenda?

Sabi ko nga eh if Brenda thinks prosec is incompetent and had **** up the case, then she can just vote for acquittal, nobody will fault her for that... Pasikat Lang talaga..

[Monseratto]

But Aguirre was asked to explain, he told the truth now nagalit si Brenda, pag nangbola at nag deny magagalit din, once or twice ok Lang, but to do it repeatedly eh excessive na yun..admonish ok Lang but to call them gago is too much. Siya nga sinabihan Lang ng masakit Sa tenga Ang boses, halos ma heart attack na Sa galit eh

And besides there's a big difference sa ginawa ni Brenda Saka ni drilon and osmena..they don't embarassed the defense unlike Brenda. All they are doing is asked "clarificatory" questions...

Saka wait Lang defense pag timena nila mag present ng witness, evidense, judges will also do the asked question that will also deemed advantageous to them..

Saka Paano babastusin ni cuevas Si drillon and osmena hinde naman sila binabastos unlike Brenda?

Sabi ko nga eh if Brenda thinks prosec is incompetent and had **** up the case, then she can just vote for acquittal, nobody will fault her for that... Pasikat Lang talaga..

What you're suggesting is when you are taking a tongue lashing in front of a person of authority. It's OK to cover your ear, since OK to screw authority. Is that your point?

[shadow]

What you're suggesting is when you are taking a tongue lashing in front of a person of authority. It's OK to cover your ear, since OK to screw authority. Is that your point?

If you can't take it anymore and you're ready to suffer the consequences, then by all means...

Sani nga respect begets respect...

[Bin Diesel]

^ magpasikat naman talaga ang ginagawa ni brenda sa impeachment e. Tingnan mo everytime na tatayo siya sa podium naka singhal agad parang g*g°.

[Ry_Tower]

Hindi lang naka-singhal, arrogante talaga ere.