does anybody have a first hand experience on this issue? are the allegations true?
discussions, comments and suggestions are welcome :mrgreen:
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Monday, July 17, 2006
Pardo folk want priests out
OVER 1,000 parishioners held a prayer rally for the ouster of two priests from the Sto. Tomas de Villanueva church in Barangay Poblacion Pardo, Cebu City.
They converged in front of the church Saturday night, asking that Msgr. Constantino Diotay, parish priest for around 11 years, and Fr. Domingo Tapic step down.
Bearing candles and placards, they criticized the two priests for alleged “corruption and ineptness.”
A few placards read: “Msgr. Diotay, Fr. Tapic nagsige la’g atik?”, and “Ang panapi angay putlon ang altar dili gub-on” (Are you always going to fool us? Stop your money-making activities, don’t renovate the altar anymore).
One placard asked where the amount the parish received during the Holy Week went. The money, it said, could fill a sack.
Despite the rain, leaders of the protest stood on an elevated platform and gave speeches blared over speakers they brought along.
Two big banners draped along the skywalk in front of the parish contained appeals that the “overstaying” Diotay and Tapic be ousted.
Fed up
It likewise stated: “Husto na, panghawa na, sobra na! Pardohanon gipul-an na” (Stop the corruption. They should leave. Pardohanons are fed up).
A Kalihukang Katoliko Karon (KKK) faction led the rally. Its head, Poblacion Pardo resident Walter Rodrigo Abellanosa, first came out with allegations against the priests.
One complaint was against the “excessive” price for the five-year use of cemetery space.
School charges
The rallyists, who came from Poblacion Pardo and neighboring barangays of Cogon Pardo, Kinasang-an and Inayawan, asked where the money is now.
There were also complaints against fees the parish imposed for the use of the parking spaces inside the church compound, and fees on children attending a parish foundation school.
“Motu-o ba ta nga kung foundation na pabayron ang mga bata?” Abellanosa said (Are we going to believe that a foundation should charge the school children?).
Sun.Star Cebu tried calling the church convent to get the side of the two priests but no one answered the phone.
In an earlier interview with Sun.Star Cebu, Diotay said all the income goes directly to parish treasurer Lilian Meneses.
The parish is currently undergoing renovation for its 140th anniversary celebration this September.
The project, costing P500,000, had the blessing of Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, and is in accordance with liturgical norms outlined by Msgr. Cris Garcia, chairman of the Cebu Archdiocese commission on worship, he added.
full story
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Priests in Pardo urged to step down
Shut Up! Let your GAME do the talking!
Shut Up! Let your GAME do the talking!
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