Category Archives: Religion

WAITING FOR ‘DIVINE SIGNAL’ TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

January 27, 2015 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

Duterte, next Peesident of the Philippines?

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – Who says religion and politics don’t mix ?

In what appears to be the clearest indication of his openness to run for president of the Philippines in 2016, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte told constituents and supporters that there will be “swift and immediate reforms” should he become president.

Speaking before a crowd, Duterte also said he will rule with “common sense and a good heart” if God allows him to be the next leader of the country. “I am waiting for divine signal,” he added.

Duterte openly favors a federalist form of government much like in the United States in which certain powers are reserved for the national government as well as the states (provinces, in the case of the Philippines).

The mayor made headlines recently when, referring to the arrest of a suspected rice smuggler, he said, “If this guy would go to Davao and starts to unload (smuggled rice)… I will gladly kill him.”

Duterte was hoping that the divine signal would be personally delivered to him by Pope Francis who recently visited the Philippines. Alas, no such signal came from the pope.

However, Duterte plans to travel to the Holy Land next month, along with other Filipino pilgrims. “Perhaps the signal is wating for me there,” he said.

Local News, Religion

NUNS SET TO PICKET SAN FRANCISCO CATHOLIC CHURCH OVER NEW BAN ON ALTAR GIRLS

January 27, 2015 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

The Star of the Sea Catholic Church of San Francisco (photo from its website)

SAN FRANCISCO, California (The Adobo Chronicles) – It’s back to the 16th Century for one Catholic Church parish in San Francisco, while nuns are marching into the 22nd century.

The Star of the Sea Church, located on Ninth and Geary streets, said it will not have girls as altar servers, and its priest behind the policy is coming under fire.

Father Josephy Illo, who came to the church about six months ago from Los Angeles, told NBC Bay Area News:

“We’d like to get back to an altar boy program, which is a proven, effective way to promoting vocations to the priesthood,” Father Illo said. “So boys get closer to the altar, and as you know, the Catholic church does not ordain women.”

Many parents in the parish are outraged, and so are nuns living in and around San Francisco.

The nuns are reportedly mobilizing and planning for a hundred thousand march to protest the new policy. “It’s bad enough that we cannot be ordained as priests. Now we (meaning females) can’t even serve at the altar,” Sister Perpetual said. She and her locally-based congregation plan to hold nightly vigils starting today at the church until the new policy is reversed.

In addition, the nuns plan to chain themselves to Muni buses, especially the No. 38 bus which runs the Geary Street route.

The San Francisco Police Department advised commuters on the Geary Street route to plan for alternative ways to get to school or work.

Politics, Religion

IMELDA MARCOS: FROM FIRST LADY TO PILGRIM

January 21, 2015 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – How times have changed. Imelda Romualdez Marcos, former First Lady and once considered the most powerful and influential woman in the Philippines, has turned pilgrim. Thanks to Pope Francis’ visit to the Philippines and to Marcos’ home province of Leyte.

At last week’s mass celebrated by Pope Francis in Tacloban, Leyte, Marcos was present, not as former First Lady or Congresswoman or Beauty Queen, but as a pilgrim, just like the thousands of people who attended the papal event on a rainy and windy day.

Miracles do happen. Marcos was even seen wearing a yellow raincoat, a color closely associated with Cory Aquino (and the current president Noynoy) and the opposition that led to ouster of her husband Ferdinand and the family’s exile to Hawaii.

Imelda’s ID tag says it all: “Pilgrim.”