Notes from the North

By Estanislao Albano, Jr.

(NOTE: This piece was written in February 2005 but it is still as relevant as when it is written because the Running Priest, Fr. Robert Reyes, and thousands of other clergymen in this country still think and act as though their mission is outside, not inside their churches. Particularly, it is directed  to Reyes and  Father Amado Picardal who were in the news recently for their walk across the  Philippines intended to try and convince President Benigno Aquino III to turn his back on the RH Bill and likewise to thousands of their fellows who think it is a part of their calling to frustrate the state’s legislative process.)

           I read with bated breath that story in the last issue of this paper about Fr. Robert Reyes, the Running Priest, taking his cause for simple living and environmental consciousness to the Cordillera  last week of this month.  The reason was that I wanted to find out if his itinerary includes Kalinga so that I will have a chance to confront one of the most visible symbols of what the clergy in this country has degenerated into in recent years.   But alas, Tabuk will not so honored by the soles of  his running shoes.

            Given the chance to face this personality whose appearance on television prompts  me to switch channels, I would ask him pointblank what he thinks is the real mission of men of the clothe and if he is accomplishing this by spending his time running on the streets and roads advocating secular causes. Prior to his Cordillera marathon, he was seen on the streets of Cebu City calling for the review of a celebrated rape case there if I am not mistaken.  Relative to this, I would also ask him about the current spiritual health of the people in the parish he is assigned to. My personal opinion is that a priest has no business outside of his fold if there are spiritually sick or lost members in his flock. What I mean is that priests just like other people should first do their assignments before trying to take on other tasks. If simple living is his concern,  Fr. Reyes should ensure that all people in his parish live simple lives before coming to the Cordillera or going elsewhere to spread that particular gospel.

            I would also ask him if what he is doing has precedents in Christian history.  Of course the New Testament did not record all the activities of the Apostles and other Christian preachers in the early days but by any stretch of the imagination, I could not see St. Paul or St. Peter taking up advocacies other than the spiritual salvation of men. And in that they were correct because people who are spiritually sound are free from the attitudes, vices and way of life which Fr. Reyes and his ilk are fighting against in their  own strength. For one, I do not think a real Christian would be so greedy and irresponsible to decimate the trees in the forest knowing that such will endanger the community and deprive future generations of their resource.  The Apostles believed in the power of the gospel in bringing about fundamental changes in the way men lived. For one, St. Paul declared in II Corinthians 5:17  “Therefore, if anyone be in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have  passed away; behold, all things have become new.” When he said that, St. Paul was not making a wish. He was stating the truth because how else would the enemies of the Gospel say of him and Silas: “Those who have turned the world upside down have come here too”? (Acts 17:6)

            Which brings as to the point which I raised sometime back that every time Roman Catholic priests in  this country rail publicly against jueteng, corruption, etc., and in the case of Fr. Reyes run against this or that, they are just proclaiming to the world their inutility as preachers of the Christian religion. As could be seen from the Biblical record, Christianity is not helpless against evil. History also tells us that during the spiritual upheavals in Europe brought about by the powerful preaching of  people who deserve to be called men of God, there was evident change for the better in the morality of the people. The mere fact that Fr. Reyes and his fellows in the Catholic Church still use venues other than their churches  to denounce this or that is enough proof that the transforming power of the Christian religion still has to be felt in this country. I will ask Fr. Reyes who he thinks are to own most of the blame for that given the fact that this country is 85 percent Roman Catholic.

            What the Running Priest is doing has similarity with what the tribes of Israel did against the city of  Jericho in that in both cases, the feet have been used for a purpose other than that of getting people someplace.  The Israelites also marched around the Jericho for a cause. But the similarity ends there.  I will point to Fr. Reyes that there are stark differences. First, the tribes accomplished the objective because on the seventh day, Jericho fell in their hands. By contrast, I do not think all that mileage of the shoes of Fr. Reyes has brought this country any  concrete good and even if he keeps running until his retirement, I do not think it will make this country any better. Second and more importantly, the tribes got their instructions to march around Jericho from God. I will ask Fr. Reyes where he got his orders to run for PAYAK and the convicted rapists in Cebu City because I do not believe God would want priests to dissipate their strength and dilute the Gospel by taking on causes other than what they were called for which is the salvation of the souls of men  

           As far as I am concerned, clergymen should remain in their parishes and do their real homework because in the first place, if they are ineffective in their churches, what gives them the idea that they could be effective elsewhere?