Archbishop Villegas warns vs. fake priests
LINGAYEN Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas has warned the Catholic faithful in Pangasinan about what he called deceptive operation of a group of men who represent themselves as “priests” of the “Ancient Catholic Church of the East.”
In his Circular 2016-2 on January 1, 2016, Archbishop Villegas said the group, reportedly headed by a certain Anthony Obinque of San Gonzalo, Labrador town, allegedly offers religious services in the barangay chapels in Pangasinan.
The sect is not a Catholic group and contrary to their presentation, there are no steps to “unite” our Churches, Villegas stressed.
“Please warn our Catholic faithful about their deceptive operations and consequently for them to never participate in their (the group) religious rites”, he added.
The also pointed out that the members of the group are prohibited from using Catholic chapels for their liturgies which simulate the Catholic rites.
NO PERSONAL VOWS
Meanwhile, Villegas says there will be no more reading of personal vows of couple; personalized recitation of personal vows and affection between couples getting married in catholic churches.
“The idea of pronouncing personal vows inserted within the wedding liturgy must not be allowed,” he said.
“The officiating priests who will be asked about the propriety of inserting personal vows in the wedding liturgy can advise the couples to read their vows at the wedding reception but certainly not in the church,” he said in his post in his Facebook account.
Villegas cited three basic principles in liturgy in a post titled “Personal vows” at wedding liturgy. These include the following:
- The liturgies of the Church, being public prayer, belong to the Church. The liturgy is a sacred action surpassing all others.
- Private devotions and personal spiritual expressions should not be mixed with the liturgies of the Church. The liturgy is not ours to change at whim.
- The regulation of the sacred liturgy depends solely on the Holy See and in limited cases, to bishops’ conferences. Hence, no other person, not even a priest may add, remove or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 22)
“Let us not compromise the sacred character of the wedding rites on the altar of romanticism,” he added. (Leonardo Micua/Tita Roces)
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