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Thursday, February 23, 2006
Speak out: Fr. Belciña’s case
By Marianne
As horrifying as the rape case involving a priest has been, I could only imagine how equally horrifying it would have been for a young priest to have sex with a girl.
Is Fr. Joey Belcina’s flight or his having been MIA (missing in action) an admission of guilt? Is he guilty of seducing a minor? Guilty of falling in love with a woman he had been supporting financially, and I bet, emotionally?
The vow of celibacy makes falling in love a sin. In some states in the US, it is a felony to have sex, even when consensual, with someone you are counseling. Isn’t it a relief then that we are in the Philippines?
Priests have so much hold over a community and so much influence over a woman whose social mobility depends on his financial support.
Yet, a priest’s sexual immaturity is one issue that the Church hierarchy is not seriously addressing. Therefore, we have priests who fear their sexuality and act irresponsibly to the detriment of their career, their victims, and the church community.
Priest-offenders are a liability to themselves, their family, and the Church.
The most pathetic thing in a sexual scandal involving a cleric and a woman is the imbalance of power. Priests are so powerful parishioners would lick their feet for fear of being thrown into hell.
Fr. Belciña’s supporters are expressing their love for their priest. Ah, love.
What I hope and pray is that Church leaders, who are all men, would be healers. Their love of God should take precedence over Church tradition of cover-up and making priest-offenders look clean at the expense of the victim.
There should be transparency in the probe on the case against Fr. Belciña for justice to be served. Justice served to the victim and to the priest-offender is justice served to the entire religious community. We are the church, aren’t we?
It must be a difficult time for Fr. Belciña, for he stands to lose so much. But whatever he loses, he would gain more if he anchors himself strongly to his faith. For God is a kind God.
It is a difficult time for the victim, too. I can imagine what she’s going through because I, too, had lived it, though with a different outcome.
I pray for her that she would be able to withstand the social pressure that could drive the most intelligent and decent woman to the brink of sanity. I pray for her family that they remain strong, for she will never make it if they falter and lose faith.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (February 23, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
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