ARCHBISHOP Oscar Cruz brought to everyman’s home in our locals by his vigorous campaign against our problematic jueteng had been quite turned off on yearend when NSO Administrator Carmelita Ericta erected her stand to have priests undergo seminars to straighten them up in solemnizing marriages. It must be absurd to the padre.

        Nonetheless, Ericta tried to indulge viewers on a national telecast in a voice of distinctly wondering remoteness that, of the usual 5,000 administered matrimonies per year, 55,000 to date showed errors in marriage certificates. Then she knifed on 25 percent of said unions on different religions, concluding of the retraining to be an on-and-off seminar as refresher.

        The good archbishop rattled, “that might be true to some fly-by-night sects. Open our books. If it is money, increase fee in marriage license.” The administrator was silent most probably quietly grieving in throes of a heartbeat in getting demerits from St. Peter watching, waiting at the portal of heaven. The padre could only guess but was ever ready to dump the NSOs administrative order should it wanted more breathing space on one hand come 2008.

        Among those within and without of the fence that include Cruz, giving GMA thumbs down this yearender is not unnatural. It’s the stark reality. When the much-maligned military received performance bonus that could just be any stand-up justification for fund release, better be appeasing money to cool the season, you’d seen them on television so superlatively gratified as if all worries never existed. I’m sure in that, we pity the lowly in public service, their docility can’t be rewarded other than pittance.

        What of the fertilizer scam, the ZTE deal, the LGU and congressmen payola under the nose of GMA. They, Malacanang minions in Congress, with exorbitant allowances and fat pluses were not even a bit embarrassed, oh, I apologize for “embarrass” is not in their vocabulary, no, laughing in gusto, yes, when JDV grabbed the headlines proudly defending the House’ bonus of P200,000 to each legislator coming from its budget, from what? Our taxes, what an insult! And GMAs lack of contentment from EVAT, to push doubling collection this 2008 is ominous for buying loyalties, no matter her predication to better service, bah.

        So the padre said, “It’s about money.” But the point here is, more of the fingers are pointing back padre.

        That naughty connotation can happen anywhere in the Curia. Priests disobedient of vows; some more Freudian than Sigmund in libido.

        In likely vein, just last December, the 268.5668 hectares under the name of Archbishop Leonardo Legaspi of the Archdiocese of Caceres were ruled by the Supreme Court not exempted from the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law. The Catholic church’s arguments on administratorship, donation, maintenance of the Naga Cathedral and the Peñafrancia Shrine and the Basilica Minore did not hold in the decision penned by Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco Jr.

        Are the landless really being deprived when after the acquisition as records would show sell them and their souls to the moneyed? Yet, is the privilege a right when wealth is used to buy influence? Cruz can agree to that though that is not his mix.

        Ericta has erred in more ways than one. Her intentions may be noble, but taking on theodicy of the Catholic hierarchy in Juan’s domain needs more than a while that her boss, GMA, can concoct. Matter-of-factly, GMAs argumentum populus defies rootful constancy that whatever is left for reason to consume is its requiem most unholy rendered in sad oppression and hopelessness.

        What the NSO chief unashamedly boasts wrong marriages among interfaithfuls incarcerates the Catholic clergy before and beyond the fact. That alone should have disturbed her sleep which, I think, was unthought of, is now a bowlful of withheld leniency compliment of Cruz.

        How can a layman be assured correct on the Catholic’s nonsacramental marriage turning sacramental through the Pauline Privilege, a serious study of seminarians that take years to comprehend. And for all we know the tedious syllabus travels the Old to the New Testaments. An understanding that Jonah was dead in the belly of the fish in spite of proofs to the contrary would belie in fallacious magnus the rule of eventualities. So the sciences of men took from the science of God.

        Nevertheless, after every other aspersion has been cast to each other between us mortals, the little child remains in all discussions whether it be scientific or literary. From this my friend, I wish you a prosperous new year in the greatness of the innocent Child.