LUBAO, Pampanga – A priest who concelebrated here yesterday a Mass attended by Pres. Arroyo before she filed her candidacy for Congress, compared Mrs. Arroyo to Jesus Christ who “stooped down” to serve mankind.
Kapampangan priest Fr. Roland Moraleja was chosen to deliver the homily by a group of 12 priests who concelebrated the Mass for the President before she filed her certificate of candidacy for Congress at the provincial office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in San Fernando.
Moraleja said that the decision of Mrs. Arroyo to “go down” from presidency to run for a lower post in Congress was like Jesus “taking the form of a slave to serve mankind.” He urged the President “not to be afraid” in her decision to run for congress.
“To serve, we must humble ourselves,” he said, while noting that one does not have to be president nor congressman to be able to serve others.
Moraleja cited the New Testament, specifically chapter 2 of St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians which cited Jesus as God humbling himself by taking the form of man.
“You have served Pampanga well and they still need you in Pampanga, regardless of what people say. If other people put you down, we Kapampangans will put you up,” he said in his homily.
Some people who were at the church remarked that the 12 priests who concelebrated the Mass seemed designed to reflect the number of Christ’s apostles.
Pampanga Auxiliary Bishop Virgilio Pablo David said that “Moraleja’s middle name should be B”. He said that the letter stands for blasphemy.
Earlier, David said that “in the name of decency and for the sake of propriety, I’d appeal to her (Pres. Arroyo) not to run and to respect the spirit of the Constitution instead of exploiting the letter of the law which indeed does not categorically mention prohibition of running for lower positions.”
“The Constitution drafters were such decent people that they left for common sense and propriety,” he said.
David also stressed that “to have to ask the Supreme Court to state it categorically means we’ve sunk that low in our sense of civility. How sad indeed.”
Yesterday’s Mass concelebrator, Fr. Jun Mercado, parish priest of Barangay Lourdes Sur in Angeles City, also addressed the crowd, saying that “in behalf of the other priests in the Mass, I appeal for support for Pres. Arroyo.”
The 12 priests have long been known as supporters of the President, some of them identified with provincial board member Lilia Pineda who is now running for governor of Pampanga.
Biblical passages were also invoked during a rally outside the church patio where the President proceeded after the Mass to greet some 3,000 folk from various towns in Pampanga’s second disctrict.
In his speech before a crowd carrying placards manifesting support for the President’s congressional bid, Floridablanca Mayor Eduardo Guerrero also reminded local voters of the Biblical passage saying that those who ask do receive and those who seek do find. This, he said, was fulfilled for local voters by the decision of the President to run for Congress.
First Gentlemen Mike Arroyo and son Rep. Mikey Arroyo, who gave way to his mother in the congressional race in the second district, were with the President during the Mass up to her filing of her candidacy in San Fernando.
Addressing Mikey, Guerrero said that “while we love and need you, we love and need the President more.”
Kapampangan priest Fr. Roland Moraleja was chosen to deliver the homily by a group of 12 priests who concelebrated the Mass for the President before she filed her certificate of candidacy for Congress at the provincial office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in San Fernando.
Moraleja said that the decision of Mrs. Arroyo to “go down” from presidency to run for a lower post in Congress was like Jesus “taking the form of a slave to serve mankind.” He urged the President “not to be afraid” in her decision to run for congress.
“To serve, we must humble ourselves,” he said, while noting that one does not have to be president nor congressman to be able to serve others.
Moraleja cited the New Testament, specifically chapter 2 of St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians which cited Jesus as God humbling himself by taking the form of man.
“You have served Pampanga well and they still need you in Pampanga, regardless of what people say. If other people put you down, we Kapampangans will put you up,” he said in his homily.
Some people who were at the church remarked that the 12 priests who concelebrated the Mass seemed designed to reflect the number of Christ’s apostles.
Pampanga Auxiliary Bishop Virgilio Pablo David said that “Moraleja’s middle name should be B”. He said that the letter stands for blasphemy.
Earlier, David said that “in the name of decency and for the sake of propriety, I’d appeal to her (Pres. Arroyo) not to run and to respect the spirit of the Constitution instead of exploiting the letter of the law which indeed does not categorically mention prohibition of running for lower positions.”
“The Constitution drafters were such decent people that they left for common sense and propriety,” he said.
David also stressed that “to have to ask the Supreme Court to state it categorically means we’ve sunk that low in our sense of civility. How sad indeed.”
Yesterday’s Mass concelebrator, Fr. Jun Mercado, parish priest of Barangay Lourdes Sur in Angeles City, also addressed the crowd, saying that “in behalf of the other priests in the Mass, I appeal for support for Pres. Arroyo.”
The 12 priests have long been known as supporters of the President, some of them identified with provincial board member Lilia Pineda who is now running for governor of Pampanga.
Biblical passages were also invoked during a rally outside the church patio where the President proceeded after the Mass to greet some 3,000 folk from various towns in Pampanga’s second disctrict.
In his speech before a crowd carrying placards manifesting support for the President’s congressional bid, Floridablanca Mayor Eduardo Guerrero also reminded local voters of the Biblical passage saying that those who ask do receive and those who seek do find. This, he said, was fulfilled for local voters by the decision of the President to run for Congress.
First Gentlemen Mike Arroyo and son Rep. Mikey Arroyo, who gave way to his mother in the congressional race in the second district, were with the President during the Mass up to her filing of her candidacy in San Fernando.
Addressing Mikey, Guerrero said that “while we love and need you, we love and need the President more.”
