Kapatiran

By +Oscar V. Cruz D. D.

It is a rather well known fact that the three “Kapatiran” senatorial political candidates are adorned with impeccable integrity, competence and commitment. They clearly and passionately professed their mission to exercise the public office they pursued in the last elections in line with the mandates of justice and truth, honesty and transparency.

Their resources were admittedly very limited. Political machinery they had none. But just the same, they were credible and trustworthy. That was why a good number of people voted for them. The votes however were far from enough. They lost the elections. They accepted their electoral defeat with grace and kept their heads high.

They remain upright men. They continue being committed followers of catholic faith and morals. They faithfully subscribe to the social doctrine of the church repeatedly and consistently teaching that political life is the arena proper of the laity in the church. Truth to say, they can be readily considered as good citizens and exemplary Christians.

All the above lay attributions however did not help them win the elections. The question wherefore comes to fore: Was it because they were not priests who could have used their priesthood to gather enough votes? Had they been priests, would they have used such a reality as a convenient political instrumentality to win the elections?

Meantime, there was a priest who was elected to a gubernatorial office in a certain province. He too had meager resources without however any political party, much less the machinery that goes with it. But just the same, he won the elections with much praise and joy from his fervent followers.

The question is, were he not a priest, would the people have in fact voted him as their provincial governor? Could he have in effect actually used his priesthood to get elected? Were he not a priest and just a plain layman like all “Kapatiran” candidates, could be have really won the elections just the same?

One thing is certain, it is bad taste to say the least, that a priest uses precisely his priesthood to win an elective public office in a province precisely known for their fervent catholic faith. The church all over the globe has consistently held and fervently taught that the sacred priest is inherently meant for the preaching of the Word of God and for the administration of the sacraments of the Church—never for political ambition.

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/viewpoints/)

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