'Healing priest' thumbs down on CBCP's anti-Arroyo call
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 10/31/2008 11:06 AM
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"Healing priest" Father Fernando Suarez has distanced himself from the recent pronouncements of five members of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines that called for a change in leadership -- a stand that is deemed against President Arroyo and her administration.
"Pwede ba na 'wag naman nating i-destabilize ang bansa na hirap na hirap na. Let’s just wait (Is it possible not to destablize our country that's already hurting?)," he told ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau in Heston in Middlesex, England.
He, however, said that the things that the five bishops did were according to God's will and with the people in mind.
"I’m just hoping and praying na kagustuhan ng Diyos ang ginagawa ng bawat isa para sa ikagaganda at ikauunlad ng ating bayan (I'm just hoping and praying that whatever each of them did was in accordance with God's will and with the people and the country in mind)," Suarez said.
The priest's healing tour in England has been mobbed by Filipinos and Britons alike.
Aside from Heston, he is scheduled to visit a number of English cities to cure the sick and at the same time, gather funds for the upkeep and promotion of the Montemaria Shrine in Batangas as a global healing center.
Earlier this week, Lagdameo and four other CBCP members condemned the unabated “top- to-bottom” corruption in government and asked the public to shake the status quo.
Lagdameo went as far as assuring the public that “liberators” may be just around the corner during a forum in Manila.
“In response to the global economic crisis and the pitiful state of our country, the time to rebuild our country economically, socially, politically, is now. The time to start radical reforms is now. The time for moral regeneration is now. The time to conquer complacency, cynicism and apathy to prove that we have matured from our political statements is now. The time to prepare a new government is now,” Lagdameo said.
Lagdameo added the public should not lose hope that changing the present system is futile. “Inspite of the seemingly hopeless and negative prognosis, our liberation may yet serendipitously happen. We are dreaming, praying and hoping that our county may yet have the needed liberators.”
It is hoped that these “liberators,” Lagdameo said, “will in a courageous peaceful way effectively and uncompromisingly reform our country.”
Also present in the forum were Lingayen Archbishop Oscar Cruz, Bataan Bishop Socrates Villegas, Masbate Bishop Joel Baylon and Bishop Emeritus Jose Sorra. We learned that seven more bishops would have attended the forum but cancelled for some reasons. With Rose Eclarinal, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau in London
