Tuesday, March 25, 2008 Board condemns Lozada statement against Cardinal
THE Cebu Provincial Board (PB) yesterday condemned Senate witness Rodolfo Lozada Jr. for criticizing Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal.
Provincial Board Member Victor Maambong read the resolution condemning the “disrespectful statement” of Lozada during their regular session. The resolution was approved by the provincial legislators and passed on mass motion.
The passage of the resolution came even after Vidal said on Sunday that he has forgiven Lozada for calling the Archdiocese of Cebu the “Archdiocese of Malacañang.”
When Lozada visited Cebu last March 17, Lozada complained that Vidal instructed his priests not to officiate masses for him. The Archdiocese of Cebu, however, denied this.
Lozada talked about an “Archdiocese of Malacañang” here while the Black and White Movement in Metro Manila called the cardinal “a congressman in a cassock.”
The attack prompted the Presbyteral Council of the Archdiocese of Cebu to issue a statement denying the claim of the Lozada camp. Lozada’s statement was also criticized by several public officials in Cebu.
The council is composed of senior and junior priests coming from the districts of Cebu, priest formators in the seminaries, canon lawyers, and other commission heads under the archdiocese.
“(We wish) to unequivocally state that our beloved archbishop did not in any way prevent any priest in the Archdiocese of Cebu to say mass at gatherings organized for Mr. Rodolfo Noel Lozada in Cebu,” the statement said.
It was read by Msgr. Roberto Alesna Alesna, parish priest of the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral and the council’s secretary for the past 15 years. (GMD)
