Pastoral letter

“AQUI EN la Pampanga hay mucha piedad pero poca caridad.”
In total recall of the lamentation of the first bishop of San Fernando, the Most Rev. Cesar Ma. Guerrero, on the wealth of piety but the want of charity in Pampanga, Archbishop Paciano B. Aniceto, opened his pastoral statement titled “Strive to preserve the unity of spirit through the bond of peace.”
Apu Ceto enjoined both governors and governed, clergy and laity to "stop the political skirmishes and enter into a mature dialogue with each other."
"Enough of the senseless political impasse that has hurt especially the poorest of the poor who are most in need of the basic services of the government!" the good pastor beseeched his flock.
That, even as he reminded the elected leaders of their primary mandate to “serve the interests of the common good, with due regard for the poorest and most vulnerable sectors of our community.” Which is in full conjunction with the Church’s long-time social doctrine of preferential option for the poor. Which made the very core of the campaign promise of the suspended priest Among Ed Panlilio: “Dala ta la king kapitolyu ding daing ding pakakalulu. (We will bring to the capitol the cries of the poor).” The perceived, if not actual, failure in the delivery of which by Gov. Eddie T. Panlilio, spurred all these demands for his ouster – be it through resignation, or through recall.
"While recognizing that the option to push for a petition for recall is indeed a constitutional right,” so admitted Apu Ceto, “I appeal to our people that they be more discerning of the motives of the various groups and individuals involved in it."
Asking his flock thus to "make a serious effort to examine their consciences over this issue---carefully considering if it will indeed serve the interest of the common good at this time in our province, of if it will just further divide our people who have yet to recover from social and political fragmentation." That was the May 2007 elections, most clearly. The one that hewed to the morality play of good versus evil: the goodness of the suspended priest versus the twin evils of jueteng and plundered quarry collections.
"We have experienced enough division during the previous election. Democracy has prevailed and the winner is not one or another candidate of a part but the will of the people." Apu Ceto would have been more specific with the election mandate received by the gubernatorial winner as the will of a little over a third of the Kapampangan people.
Still, we have to accept the declared winner, even if only by a plurality, and so we bow to Apu Ceto: "Let us respect the mandate that each democratically-elected official enjoys, and give each one the opportunity to serve his term or her term, while being at the same time considerate of each one's limitations."
Ay, there’s the rub our Among Archbishop. When the limitations of the elected official become too burdensome to his constituents, when these limitations all but totally negate his mandate to serve, what is there for the people to do? Suffer the remainder of his term?
The answer here to most Kapampangans, to over 200,000 of them – it pains me to say this, my Beloved Spiritual Father – has gone way beyond discernment.
Yes, our Among Archbishop, we agree fully with you: "I call upon our people and our leaders to rise above the limitations and egoism of politics and allow only goodness to guide our minds, our souls and our actions so that together we may all take part in building a renewed Pampanga, a renewed Philippines."
For a start will somebody please rise above the limitations of his self-imposed belief that all the goodness, brilliance, and excellence in all Kapampangan are reposited only in one woman?
Egoism, Among? So who was it who said: “Because of what I have done in Pampanga, I have given hope to the whole Philippines.”
That is not simply being egoistic. That is being utterly Messiahnic.
So, like the rest of us, will he listen to your pastoral statement, knowing that he denied all your appeals for him to keep his fidelity to the vow of obedience he made before God Herself at the altar of Melchisedek? Even outdoing Peter in the process, the cock crowing five times in his case?
Knowing that I could hurt you with this piece, I beg your forgiveness my Dear Father, Apu Ceto.