News has it that the Reverend Father Ed Panlilio, Governor of Pampanga is considering running for President of the Philippines together with Governor Grace Padaca of Isabela as his VP. Padaca’s standing election isn’t much of an issue but Panlilio is.
Readers should take note that I am properly addressing Governor Panlilio. As long as he hasn’t resigned his holy orders (or be defrocked by his Church), he has to be called “Father Panlilio”.
This is the issue that two Catholic bishops, one is Panlilio’s direct superior, Bishop Paciano Aniceto of Pampanga and Archbishop Oscar Cruz of Lingayen-Dagupan are concerned about. As it stands now, Panlilio is “on leave” or “suspended from priestly duties” from his Church. The term depends on what blurb you are reading. But one thing is sure, to take a leave or be suspended doesn’t mean dismissal or resignation from the service. Any employee know this and this means that and HR practitioners are careful not to have these terms misconstrued or else risk a labour lawsuit.
Bishop Aniceto says that while Panlilio has been temporarily derived of his rights as a priest now that he is elected, he still has obligations as a man in holy orders. This leaves us laypeople with the question, does this suspension REMOVE HIS OBLIGATION OF OBEDIENCE TO THE BISHOP? In Churches with an episcopal polity the priest is obliged to be obedient to the bishop.
Archbishop Cruz , an expert in Canon Law says that Panlilio should resign from the priesthood. Cruz has written many tomes on Canon Law and this can be had from your local bookstore.
This was the reason that in England, which has an Established Church, ordained clergy until very recently were not allowed to sit in the Commons. Some Anglican bishops were allowed to sit in the Lords though as Lords Spiritual. But Lords Spiritual are still not allowed to sit in the Commons. In England, the Church and State are united in theory. But readers should take note that the Lords are SPIRITUAL as contrasted to TEMPORAL. Thus by convention the Anglican Lord bishops do not vote on matters of law and state. Thus the separation of Church and State is maintained in practice.
In 2001, David Cairns, a Catholic priest stood for office as an MP but he resigned his orders from the Catholic Church. The Labour government of the day passed legislation removing the disqualification for clerics and Cairns was able to sit as an MP.
The point here was that the politician resigned his orders. This was also pointed out by Bishop Aniceto who listed Paraguayan President Lugo and Haiti’s President Aristide to have resigned their orders upon entering electoral politics.
In the Philippines we do not have a disqualification statute for clerics who want to run for office that will require them to resign their orders. We may get into legal knots on this. Thus the pressure to make the cleric resign is from their own church.
The Catholic Church which has a sacramental priesthood is dead serious on its disapproval of priest-politicians. Panlilio won’t be the first cleric to run for president. Bishop Gregorio Aglipay of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente ran against Manual Quezon for the Commonwealth presidency in 1935 and more recently Reverend Eddie Villanueva of the Jesus is Lord Church ran as president against incumbent Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. But these churches did not have any policy on their clergy becoming politicians, although I was told that the IFI clergy today are not keen to enter electoral politics to further their struggle for justice.
Pope Benedict XVI has received the resignation of the Paraguayan bishop who ran for President and granted him dispensation. The Church’s stand is based on how it views itself as based on Christ’s words “My kingdom is not of this world”.
My opinion is that I believe that Panlilio is not being honest by not resigning his Holy Orders. As an analogue in the secular world, an Army officer who wants to run for office has to RESIGN his/her commission and be honourably discharged. The army is organized along similar ways as the Catholic Church. It is a matter of obedience.
This reminds me of the Centurion in the Matthew’s Gospel. “Master I too am a man under obedience, I say come and my servant comes, do this and he does so”. Panlilio has to be like the centurion. He should choose whom to obey.
Popularity: 1% [?]
blackshama,
Among Ed is begining to send mixed signals. After the launch of the movement for a Panlilio-Padaca reform ticket, he was on national radio early today to say he’d rather wear his habit than run for President.
But it’s an open secret that his handlers are moving around exploring ‘deals’ aimed at oushing forward the presidential draft.
Unless Among Ed makes up his mind fully all that he’ll succeed in doing is to confuse the electorate.
THAT IN ITSELF WILL BE A BIG DISSERVICE.
I agree. It is a big disservice to the Catholic Church too. If our Filipino Catholic Church were more mature, the pressure for making Panlilio quit the priesthood should be from the faithful and not just two learned bishop-experts on Canon Law. But we aren’t there yet.
Priest or Politician makes no difference now especially with the kind of Government we have today. Politicians clearly have failed to serve their purpose which forces people to look for leadership in very unlikely places.
Priest or pauper, we all are prey to this Government that continues to plunder our resources. Priest or pauper, we all have the responsibility to bring sanity to our leadership.
I suggest Ed to renouce his priesthood and pursue his call. I don’t knew him honestly but judging by the things he did, I think he could be an alternative to the popular. Besides it is by works that justfies people not by what they are. Don’t you agree?
There is nothing in the Principle of the Separation of Church and State that bars priests from running for political offices, since,
Therefore, I would encourage more and more priests to enter into politics, settling whatever problems they might have with their churches on their own.
Most Filipino priests are really more concerned about matters of social justice and personal morality anyway, not the Theology which those they minister to cannot understand or hardly care about.
Once elected into office however, they ought to read and fully understand the recent Filipino Voices post, “Democracy has morality but no theology” so they don’t get impeached for culpable violation of the Constitution, or foment religious war.
it seems he’s still testing the waters.
pero sa kakapakiramdam niya kung mainit o malamig ba ang tubig, baka maubusan siya ng oras para mangampanya. ilang araw na lang ba?
What’s in a name? Priest or layman, soldier, centurion or civilian, if according to the law and he’s a good man or a good woman, then it’s good for us and the country.
We tried GMA, whom we thought was a good woman to lead us as president, why not a priest, for a change?
The proof of the pudding is in the eating, but we’ll never know until it’s baked.
Is he a ‘WINNABLE’?
Their lies what mlq3 called ‘the conundrum’.
Having clerics as representatives is sure sign that traditional Catholic social teaching and how it should operate in the secular world, have failed in this country.
Could we still see him as a cleric despite him being a political figure already?
Can we not look at him as a Governor since this is the last role he played?
Looking deeper, as a Governor, did he showed special preference in the Catholic Church? Are his policies in Pampanga Catholic-centered?
Please shed some light if you knew any.
Consider myself as a voter weighing his choices.
If his legacy and political orientation does not advance specific Catholic issues let us condemn him. But if his policies promotes the general welfare/common good, let us compare them with the achirvements of the aspiring presidentiables and let us see which have more effect.
ooops, I STAND CORRECTED:
If his legacy and political orientation DOES advance specific Catholic issues let us condemn him.
But if his policies promotes the general welfare/common good, let us compare them with the achirvements of the aspiring presidentiables and let us see which have more effect.
Priest, minister or whatever….If he is going to run for President…and He will not make deals and partnerships with the traditional political parties or individuals…THEN i WILL VOTE FOR HIM…Pero kung makikiapgsabwatan na naman sya sa mga partidong political na matagal ng pumapatay sa bansang ito…then I say, wala syang pinagiba…he will end up paying his debts to the trapos kung manalo man sya…
sana lang…wag syang makibesobeso sa mga trapos at mga partido nito…
Juwan_D: how would Panlilio get the money for TV and radio advertisements and to put gasoline into the trucks and cars that will bring his entourage around the Philippines for campaigning? Hindi ba through deals and partnerships? O, gusto mong maging ambassador to South Africa?
UP n grad,
di ko masagot yang tanong mo na yan…but as for me and the whole of my family..we are very much willing to put in 100€ each to help him in his campaign…and use the internet to broadcast his candidacy…in our own little way we will help..yes it is a matter of money to launch a nationwide campaign…its difficult..and nearly impossible…but if the people who will support him will give financial help just for the sake of having him capable of launching his campaign…I think its doable…giving 100php instead of receiving from a politician.
But like I said…kung gagawin ni panlilio ang deals at partnerships with trapos and their political machinery…then wala din syang pinagiba…pero hangat di pa nya ginagawa…ok pa sya.
ambasador? bakit mo naman ako tinanong kung gusto kong maging ambasador? bayad sa pagsuporta ko sa kanya? hehehehehe
di ako tulad ng iba jan…na laging may hinihintay na kapalit o kabayaran sa bawat tulong na ibibigay nila sa isang politiko…
Ang inaasahan at pinakahihintay ko ay ang maisaayos ang sitwasyon ng pilipinas..ng sa gayon ay di na ako maghihirap sa paninirahan at paghahanapbuhay dito sa bansang banyaga…at mararanasan ng mga anak ko sa pilipinas na walang katulad …
pero, Juwan, bakit nga ba tayo maga-ambag ng pera sa kampanya ni Guv Panlilio kung wala pa naman tayong nakikitang katibayan na magaling nga siya at nai-iba siya sa mga nau-unang presidente?
ano ba talaga ang nakita mo sa kanya na nai-iba talaga si Father?
ituro mo naman sa amin ng makapag-ambag din kami.
Posible kya un, Ed mala-Obama when it comes support and financial machinery brought by people themselves donating money for an IDEA, a purpose?
I’ll do my share and give up some bucks for RP’s version of CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN.
I think when Filipinos do this, when even the hungry cannot be bribed for a few hundred of pesos for his vote, CHANGE has come right there and there, and all things that may happen after are just reverberations of our strong belief to uplift our country.
Problem is, we don’t have that symbol and no one bears it at the moment. Panlilio could have been but will time permit his cause?
He should decide once and for all.
Bert,
di ako mag aaksaya ng panahon na isaliwalat sayo at sa mga katulad mo kung ano ang nakita ko kay panlilio…dahil walang mababago sa utak mo at ng mga kasama mo…ikaw nga…you cant teach new tricks to old dogs…lalo na kung yung dog ay umiidolo sa isang clown hahahahahaha
gaya ng sabi ko…say chiz para sa kinabukasan ng anak mo..
ako ill say ament to panlilio…sa ngayon na hindi pa sya nakikipagsabwatan sa mga trapo na tulad ng idolo mo…hehehehehe
ayos ba tayo? kung hindi…eh di hindi behehehehehe
Just for me, he is an anachronism in our contemporary times.
All this huff and puff, made me do this work.
PAG-ASA
IMHO, I think Gov. Ed, should resign from the priesthood if he will run the office of the President as explicitly covered in both civil and ecclesiastical laws. Though, I would rather see his current office in Pampanga as a beacon to be imitated.
Anyways, I think we confuse him as our hope, final at that. But I think, which the good Gov. also sometimes comments, that he is not the hope per se but rather the manifestation of this hope and our growing hunger for good and upright governance.
Running for President is very much different
from Winning the Presidency…Anybody can
run, including my Dog Bantay. If the COMELEC
will accept my Dog as a Candidate.
bakit po pumapasok ang ma priest sa politics, doon po sa coming debate namin pro po kami na pumasok ang mga priest sa politics. may 3 parts po ung debate: befits, necessar, political. dun po sa naunang dalawa meron po kaming laban, pero po pag sa political na po, iniisip ko po na talo na kami. kasi po may law na po na nakasaad. paano po namin un madedefend??