Friday, November 23, 2007 Church official calls cine ‘belen’ blasphemy
TWO more local Catholic Church officials objected to the Nativity scene or “belen” that substituted the faces of the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph with that of President Gloria Arroyo and former president Joseph Estrada.
The belen is intended by owner Vic Alvarez to promote peace. It is displayed outside the New Cinema Theater on Colon St., Cebu City.
When this scene was described to Msgr. Cristobal Garcia, chairman of the Cebu Arch-diocese’s Commission on Worship, he said it was blasphemy.
“It is against the commandments of God. Obeying these commandments is honoring the Lord. But it (Nativity scene in Colon St.) is against the second commandment, which is not to make false image or make wrongful use of the name of God,” he told Sun.Star Cebu, before he celebrated a mass at the Asilo dela Milagrosa yesterday afternoon.
He was referring to one of the precepts of the Ten Commandments or Decalogue.
“The Nativity scene is an event of salvation. Let us respect the work of salvation and not make a caricature of the event. Let’s not make a mockery out of it. (This image in Colon) is an insult to the Christians. I think every sensible Christian and even every sensible Filipino must be against it,” said Garcia.
Although Msgr. Caye-tano Gelbolingo of Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral said he understood Alvarez’s aim to promote peace, he also called it “improper” and requested the owner to be sensitive to the varied receptions of such image among the Catholics.
“It is not okay. It is a sacred image that portrays Jesus as a divine person. I told Vic about it. Let us wait for his move,” he said.
In the Christian religion, Christmas or the Feast of the Nativity of the Lord is celebrated on Dec. 25, in remembrance of the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem.
When Sun.Star Cebu showed Msgr. Garcia a copy of yesterday’s issue that showed the Nativity scene in New Cinema Theatre, Garcia called the image inappropriate.
“If the Creator intends to promote peace and unity between the two political leaders, why not portray them kneeling before Jesus instead? The Virgin Mary is a unique character, being the mother of Jesus, while St. Joseph served as a human father for our savior. President Arroyo is not Mary, just as President Estrada is not St. Joseph, even if they have the same name. Artists must also respect religious sensibilities,” he explained.
Garcia advised Alvarez to change his Nativity display with a new one that will portray the two leaders as themselves, united in worship before Jesus.
“Let us pray and try to live a better Christian life. Let us contemplate deeply on the face of Jesus in the Bible so that we can understand the mysteries of our faith. Let us not make cartoons out of our faith,” he advised Catholics.
Msgr. Achilles Dakay, Cebu Archdiocese media liaison officer, also criticized earlier the creators of the belen, saying that Church-related activities or images are sacred and should not be politicized.
Alvarez, who took over the management of New Cinema Theatre in 1995, said the belen is meant to promote national reconciliation and incite leaders such as Arroyo and Estrada to solve corruption in the county.
He earlier said in a dyLA radio interview that the Nativity scene is a message that “took a lot of courage” to display. He also said there needs to be reconciliation between the Arroyo and Estrada camps.
Estrada was found guilty of plunder in a decision the Sandiganbayan issued last Sept. 12. The conviction carries up to 40 years in prison and disqualification from public office.
Last Oct. 25, however, Arroyo granted Estrada executive clemency and restored his political and civil rights. (NRC)
