Politics as vocation, Priesthood as Fallback Career?
I don't know about you, but my Jesuit Catholic upbringing and what I know of priests and priesthood is telling me that there is something very wrong with the idea that IF he gets the full dispensation from the Pope, IF he runs for the presidency in 2010 and IF he loses, Governor Ed Panlilio will by all means try to reclaim his priesthood, and IF the CBCP decides against it, he will contest that decision. IF.
Yes, I know all of these are still in the “IF” stages, and I already said much about the infamous “iffishness” of the priest-governor.
My point now is this:
There is nothing minutely spiritual, or moral about Panlilio’s scheme of near-future events. I fail to see his “love for priesthood” over all of this. What is crystal clear is this: Panlilio is, effectively and blatantly trying to make the priestly vocation as nothing more than a fallback career. He wants to get the most out of both worlds!
His decision to seek dispensation for what he claims to be for the “love of country” -- yes, even at the current IF stage -- is the ultimate manifestation that he had chosen the material realm over the spiritual. For Panlilio, the State had become more important than the Church. He now wants to serve the government of man over the government of God. Worldly politics is Panlilio’s new vocation.
In basic organizational principle, to preserve the cohesiveness and unity within, a member who openly violates, no longer believe or adhere to the basic principles of that organization are either asked to resign, or is expelled. In Panlilio’s case, he was lucky to have Archbishop Paciano Aniceto as his immediate superior.
With utmost forbearance, Apung Ceto only suspended Panlilio of his priestly functions despite the latter’s willful disobedience to him as his bishop and for violating the Canon Law.
Back then Panlilio promised Apung Ceto that it will just be for three years.
Also back then, the archbishop must have seen the people’s clamor for Panlilio to run, saw how the laity and even non-Catholics were inspired and were drawn closer to God because of this. There was something positive about Panlilio’s candidacy.
But now, whatever was good about Panlilio’s entry in the political realm in 2007 was already replaced and overwhelmed by the bad. The bishops are very much aware of the growing disillusionment, demoralization, confusion and even the pain that Panlilio is causing the people of Pampanga especially those from the ranks of his once most loyal and committed supporters. They know that something wrong is happening to Among Ed.
Our dear Kapampangan bishops seem to have used every possible means to discourage Among Ed against his political plans. In private, I can imagine that they have done prayer sessions, intercessions, consultations, dialogues. All these obviously did not work.
Perhaps to apply more pressure and to wake Panlilio from his dreamlike state, the Church hierarchy was compelled to openly criticize and reject Panlilio’s plans. (See “Panlilio: It’s back to priesthood if he loses”, PDI, July 21, 2009; “Panlilio angers prelates, Superiors Reject Fr. Ed’s plan to run for president”, PDI July 10, 2009)
Here’s a thought: I think everyone from the Church whose opinion should matter to Among Ed already did what they can to keep him away from the enticing, head-swelling, vanity-building world of politics and of man.
The Gov. Ed Panlilio that you now see is a different man from the Among Ed that we all loved.
I say for the sake of the Roman Catholic Church, for unity and to protect all the Catholics from more shame, shock and demoralization whenever the politician Ed Panlilio blatantly disregard and disrespect you, our dear Bishops, let him be.
Let him be a man of this world that he so chooses to be. Let him learn from his own mistakes and to face the consequences of his own actions.
But don’t, please, allow him to make the priesthood a fallback career.
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