Let’s forgive this priest – even if he knew what he was doing

“Forgiveness is not always easy. At times, it feels more painful than the wound we suffered, to forgive the one that inflicted it. And yet, there is no peace without forgiveness.”

Marianne Williamson

By Alex P. Vidal

Even if Rev. Msgr. Juanito Ma. Tuvilla, the parish priest of Santa Barbara, Iloilo, knew what he was doing and talking, we must still forgive him.

Some of us—especially those scandalized by his alleged “unchristian” acts—might not yet ready to smoke the proverbial peace pipe with him, but we must always be ready to open our hearts, bury the hatchet and let bygones be bygones.

In the new International Version of the Holy Bible, Luke 23:34 quoted Jesus as saying, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

The only difference is Jesus was the one persecuted in the biblical story that happened more than two thousand years ago.

In Santa Barbara town, Tuvilla was the one accused of persecution by residents of Brgy. Dalid. 

Tuvilla’s alleged uncouth behavior started after the burial mass for a dead member of the Susvilla family of Barangay Dalid on July 19.

Ricky Dioso, a family member, was thanking those who attended the mass for the dead Susvilla family member inside the Santa Barbara Church when Tuvilla suddenly grabbed the microphone and chided the grieving family.

SWITCH

Tuvilla threatened to switch off the church’s power supply when he sensed the family still refused to leave after the mass and was taking it long for them to use the premises.

“Ano gusto niyo patyan ta kamu kuryente (Do you want me to switch off the power?),” Barangay Dalid chief Rolly Sorongon quoted the priest as saying.

Embarrassed and shocked, Dioso retorted angrily

“Paano ka nag pari? Bastos ka man (How did you become a priest? You are ill-mannered),” Sorongon quoted Dioso as saying.

The village chief, who reported the incident to media, claimed the incident shocked the people inside the church.

Rev. Fr. Alfone Marie Berbegal, who celebrated the requiem mass for the dead Susvilla family member, never questioned why it took the family too long to use the church to thank mourners.

To compound the matter, Sorongon reported further that Tuvilla called the residents of Barangay Dalid as thieves of carabaos and that the Susvillas were ill-mannered during his homily the following Sunday.

PULPIT

The priest’s diatribes in the pulpit reportedly further enraged the family and residents of Sorongon’s barangay.

Sorongon’s fellow village chiefs Jeffrey Suarnava (Barangay Sangcate), Noel Suezo (Barangay Daga) and Tim Padilla (Barangay Zone 5 Poblacion) also reportedly confirmed Tuvilla’s alleged misbehavior toward some residents.

The scandal has erupted into scandalous proportions as it came in the heels of an incident in Cebu where 59-year-old Fr. Romeo Obach humiliated an unwed teenage mother during the baptismal of her child inside the Sacred Heart chapel in Mandaue City last July 6.

When the video of the incident recorded by the girl’s 12-year-old sister went viral, Fr. Obach panicked and realized his mistake.

The girl has forgiven Fr. Obach after he wrote her a letter of apology and visited her to personally say sorry for his “cruel” words.

Forgiveness means the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) of Santa Barbara should withdraw the petition asking for Msgr. Tuvilla’s ouster.

ARCHDIOCESE

Now that his alleged misdemeanor and arrogance has been reported to the Archdiocese of Jaro which has the direct supervision over erring priests, let’s allow the chips to fall where they may and wait for the proper sanction, just in case there is one.

But hatred must be removed from our hearts.

The enmity happened with no bloodshed. Everything was a product of emotional outburst. No property was lost. No life was wasted. No one was harmed physically. If Jesus can forgive, why can’t we ordinary mortals?

Like Fr. Obach, we are confident that Msgr. Tuvilla must have realized his mistakes—human as he is.

After all, to err is human; it is a divine to forgive, as Alexander Pope had said.

If Msgr. Tuvilla is willing to face his enemies and bury their hatchets, reconciliation isn’t far-fetched.

Community leaders, municipal and provincial officials should mediate a reconciliation move between the two parties.

Let’s listen to Matthew 6:14-15, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

  

THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA

“The thought that so many people get their news from social media really is scary.” Rush Limbaugh

By Alex P. Vidal

A FEW minutes after major streets in Iloilo City were flooded due to monsoon rains brought by typhoon “Florita” last July 7, the whole world immediately learned of the situation via social media.

Photos of flooded downtown streets immediately spread in the Facebook and Twitter, enabling fellow Ilonggos living outside Western Visayas and in other countries to get a clear ringside account of what was going on in the City of Love.

The speed and accuracy of the news transmitted via social media that very moment gave disaster coordinating councils in the region ample time to spruce up their rescue operation teams just in case the situation turns awry.

Forty years ago, photos of floods and other disasters reached the attention of people in other regions only after several weeks when newspapers published them. Horrors of actual damage and deaths were chronicled only on radio reports. Even television networks at that time were not as fully-equipped and as state-of-the-art compared to the technology we have today.

HIGH-TECH

Most high-tech mobile phones now have digital cameras that can transmit photos and videos in a snap of a finger to the global village via the social media.

It was not hard to get the sympathy of people in other countries when super-typhoon “Yolanda” struck in Central Visayas last November 2013 because the destruction was seen all over the world courtesy of the social media, thus foreign relief assistance poured in dizzying speed and volumes.

Access has become smooth and easy to actual scenes of riots, earthquakes, tsunamis, mining disasters, violent police operations, collapse of buildings, dispersal of street rallies, fisticuffs involving parliament members, traffic altercations, ATM robberies, burglaries, sex scandals as these can be conveniently taken from the CCTV and mobile phones and uploaded to YouTube via mini tablets, laptops and desktop units and become parts of household, office and even school entertainments.

The power of social media is limitless and boundless. It can sway public opinion; it can provoke insurrection; it can be used to destroy and promote personalities, clubs, products, religious groups, politicians, athletes, and events.

NETIZENS

Netizens have become the most influential purveyors of real and reel information and reliable liaisons between media and public. In terms of speed and accuracy, the netizens have given the mainstream press a run for their money, so to speak.

Because of social media, Fr. Romeo Obach of Sacred Heart Chapel in Jagobiao, Mandaue City was forced to apologize to the 17-year-old unwed mother he had humiliated during the baptism of the girl’s child last July 6.

More Fr. Obachs all over the country made the same horrendous misbehavior in the past but managed to get away with their demagoguery because their evil acts and verbal abuses were not recorded for all the world to hear and see. Suffice it to say that if the unwed mother’s 12-year-old sister did not record Fr. Obach’s ungodly misconduct, the prelate would not have capitulated.

Social media also gave us front seat view of how Brazil was steamrolled by Germany in one of the host country’s lousiest FIFA World Cup matches in recent memory last July 9, and how fast we learned that San Antonio Spurs defrocked Miami Heat in the 2014 NBA finals last month.