Wednesday, April 02, 2008 Nalzaro: Holier than thou By Bobby Nalzaro Saksi
LINGAYEN-Pangasinan Archbishop Oscar Cruz is a hyprocrite and a pretender. He said on a nationwide television newscast that he will not give Holy Communion to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo because she is a sinner. I don’t know if Bishop Cruz is a priest. It’s just like asking: “Abogado ba ka attorney? Pari ba ka Bishop?”
Bishop Cruz is an activist and a crusader. If I used the term ‘activist’, I don’t mean that he has ideological leaning like those other personalities in the leftist organizations. He is activist because he is a crusader for truth and good government. Activism, in a general sense, can be described as intentional action to bring about social and political change. This action is in support of, or opposition to, one side of an often controversial argument.
The word activism is often used synonymously with protest or dissent but activism can stem from any number of political orientations and take a wide range of forms from street protest and active campaigning or in a form of writings. There are several types of activism. One is civil disobience which is the active refusal to obey certain laws, demands and commands of a government or of an occupying power without resorting to physical violence.
Bishop Cruz actions maybe perceived only as anti-Arroyo administration but not an anti-government through and through. He stands on issues on a case-to-case basis unlike those other radicals with ideological inclination whose mind set is practically oppose to all government policies. Cruz exposed the rampant jueteng operations in Luzon area few years ago where his witnesses, Sandra Cam and Boy Mayor, linked First Gentleman Mike Arroyo to the jueteng payola.
While we respect Cruz’s personal stand and political inclination on the current graft scandal hounding the Arroyo administration, we can criticize his pronouncements. They do not speak well of a respected Church leader and a servant of God. Why should he take the issue on a personal level to the extent of imposing his own policy over his calling as a servant of God? As a priest, he should be fair to anyone whether the person is a saint or sinner.
His pronouncement that he will deny Pres. Arroyo the sacrament of Holy Communion because she is a sinner is uncalled for and does not speak of a true Christian. Our church leaders have spiritual obligation to their flock. To borrow the term used by our city prosecutors who resolved the acts of lasciviouness case filed against Fr. Ben Ejares, priests are the ‘alter ego of Jesus Christ.’ Cruz should behave like Christ.
We are all sinners and Christ forgave us. Communion is one of the Holy Sacraments and should be given to all, even the most condenmed criminal. Is Cruz ‘holier than thou?’
