HOLY Week is a good opportunity for Catholic families to show unity in commemorating the Sacrifices of the Lord, said Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma during a press conference. The prelate’s call for the Catholic faithful for family unity is timely because it has been a practice for some that the Lenten season is a time for vacation, while some candidates are doing their last-ditch efforts for the May 13 polls.
I grew up in my home town with a very religious mother. We’ve practiced and observed the Holy Week seriously. No basketball games, no drinking binge or serenading. There are no other activities than going to church, reading the Holy Book, doing the Way of the Cross and joining the procession. I really admire families that go to church together, especially during this week.
Those who take advantage of the Lenten Season as a time for vacation also have reasons of their own. Perhaps it’s the come-on promotions by most hotels and resorts that somehow entice some families to stay in the resort hotel than go to church. They probably have their own way of soul-searching during this Holy Week.
“Go to church as a family. Attend the Last Supper as a family. Undertake the “Visita Iglesia as family. Join the procession as a family. Do the “Via Crucis” as a family. It’s nice to imagine if we all do these activities as a family,” said Archbishop Palma.
As practiced by most Catholics, the Holy Week is the time for repentance and fasting as well as observing the practices that the Catholic hierarchy inculcated in the faithful like the “Visita Iglesia,” Via Crucis and joining the procession. No, I don’t consider the call of the Archbishop as a sign that the Catholics’ interest in these practices has waned.
Meanwhile, one politician is happy with the action taken by the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate his opponent for a seat in the third congressional district of Cebu and eight others on the complaint he filed for alleged violation of the graft and corrupt practices act.
SunStar Cebu reported that the Ombudsman-Visayas will conduct a fact-finding investigation on the complaint that lawyer PJ Garcia filed against Toledo City Mayor Sonny Osmeña and eight others for allegedly using a total amount of P210 million for the city’s “Clean and Green” program. Garcia and Osmeña are running for Congress in the third district of Cebu.
Believe it or not, but this case against Mayor Sonny would add up to his woes during this Lenten Week and in the coming May 13 polls even if, let’s say, the complaint was politically motivated because it’s election time. You know, filing a case or cases against candidates in the election period is a good political tactic as it would occupy the opponent.
Garcia based his complaint against Mayor Sonny and eight others on the findings of the Commission on Audit that the disbursement of the funds paid for the job order workers for the clean and green program was irregular. This case is going to be heavier than the cross Jesus carried to Calvary that the accused would carry this Holy Week.