Palma, parishioners keep story

A DIALOGUE was held yesterday morning between Minglanilla church workers and Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma on the alleged administrative and sexual misconducts of priests.

The prelate and the parishioners refused to give a statement to reporters after the meeting.

Meanwhile, there is a break in the Misa de Gallo tradition this year for the Cebu prelates. Palma, as well as Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, does not have a list of churches to visit for the nine-day votive masses.

Archbishop Palma’s meeting with a 20-member group from Minglanilla, composed of lay ministers, catechists and sacristan lasted for almost two hours.

The group arrived at the Archbishop’s residence compound along D. Jakosalem St. around 9:30 a.m. and entered Palma’s office after an hour.

Daniel Secuya, a lay minister, declined to give details of the meeting.

“Pasabot nato, didto mi gibutang sa sulod na wala gyud tawo. Our meeting was confidential (We were made to understand, we were inside where no one else was),” he told reporters.

Secuya said they were satisfied with the time Palma gave them and that they were able to raise all their issues with the priests assigned in their parish.

Messenger

A woman, who did not wish to be named, told reporters that she was at the prelate’s office to give the side of the priests.

She was also able to speak with Palma, but had avoided the reporters after the short meeting.

The Minglanilla parish was beset by a scandal involving a priest allegedly seen by acolytes and a lay minister having sex with a young woman in the church compound. The priest is one of a four-member team ministry of the parish.

Palma himself did not face reporters at his office. A vehicle picked him up from the side entrance of his office.

Sr. Evelyn Dalimot, MCST, told reporters that Archbishop Palma had another engagement and had no time to grant an interview.

Palma also texted “regrets” to Sun.Star Cebu.

Schedule

Msgr. Achilles Dakay, Archdiocesan media liaison officer, said he is not sure about the Misa de Gallo schedule of Archbishop Palma.

He said there are scheduled masses at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, the Archbishop’s residence and at parishes in Bantayan island.

Cardinal Vidal, meanwhile, has a scheduled dawn mass at the Cebu Catholic Television Network and the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral this weekend.

Vidal as Cebu archbishop had initiated a tradition of having a “theme” for the annual Misa de Gallo celebration by visiting different churches during the nine-day masses.