OPEN LETTER TO FR. WILMER TRIA

Dear Fr. Wilmer Tria:Your Open Letter to Mr. Harvey Keh last January 23, 2009 was forwarded to me by a friendsome time ago. You may have the best of intentions in writing the letter, but, I believe, wehave here a case of "the pot calling the kettle black". It never works to denounce someone sothat one can look pretty-pink in public. One should stay away from criticizing his neighbor'shouse when one's own is in need of repair.As Christ said in the Gospel of Matthew: "Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother'seye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?"It would be better to focus your talent in steering the Church closer to the poor and making itmore relevant and transparent, thus truly affirming it as the Mystical Body of Christ.I am not trying, nor wish, to defend Mayor Robredo. Heaven knows I have more issuesagainst his administration than you. Nor do I wish to denigrade the Church. I just feel stronglythat it would be better for you to concentrate on problems concerning your area of competence as a man of the cloth.In the spirit of constructive criticism and self-criticism, therefore, I would like to suggest toyou and to the Union of Bicol Clergy to look into these following issues:

1. STOP THE SECOND COLLECTION IN SUNDAY MASSES.

In these times, this is literally stealing from the people's mouths. We are living in harshtimes where every centavo counts for the family budget. Appealing to the people's sense of charity for the second collection is emotional blackmail.If what you have in mind is to help raise funds for victims of calamities, why not justgive half of the amount of the mass collection? Why must the Church's contribution to suchfunds come from the people through the second collection? Cannot the Church, on her own,give from its own vast wealth?Emulate Christ and the Apostles: share first your "five loaves and two fishes" beforeasking from the people.

2. GIVE SOCIAL SECURITY COVERAGE TO ALL CHURCH LAY EMPLOYEES.

This is a matter of human right of the employees. If the Church cannot respect this, thenall its efforts for social justice are all for naught and mere lip service. By not giving socialsecurity coverage for its employees, the Church not only violates the law of the land topromote and protect the rights of employees but gravely abuses the right and dignity of itsemployees. Charity must begin at home.

3. DISCIPLINE YOUR GAY PRIESTS.

I suggest that a panel of experts be assembled to design a seminary curriculum thatwould weed out these misfits from the priestly vocation in the early years of formation.

Stop tolerating the homosexual behavior of some of your own priests; de-frock them, if need be, because they are a mockery to Christ.

4. ORGANIZE ALL THE VOYADORES AS HONOR GUARDS OF INA.

I think you are missing the point by focusing on the "andas" of Ina to put order in thePenafrancia processions. Neither can the rowdy behavior of the Voyadores during thePenafrancia Traslacion and the Fluvial Processions be solved by holding seminars for themweeks before the Penafrancia Fiesta nor by making them wear color-coded shirts during theprocessions.This rowdy behavior underlines the Church's failure to impart the proper religious fervorand vision. It bares the Church's neglect of the Voyadores' spiritual formation.All the Voyadores must be truly organized as Honor Guards of Ina to promote theirgrowth from mere fanaticism to genuine religious piety. The Voyadores may smell; they maybe vulgar, or irreverent, even. But give them a year-round organization that would truly reflecttheir love and devotion for Ina and imbue them with a vision of service for others in the nameof Ina and they will be a potent force for religious and social advocacy the whole yearthrough.It is said that there are two ways to spread light: to be the candle or the mirror thatreflects it.Would there be any from among you who would be willing to immerse himself amongthese people and organize them so that he may truly mirror their hopes and aspirations?Would there be any from among you who would be willing to undertake this unglamorousapostolate? Would there be anyone among the priests in the archdiocese who would bewilling to serve these unperfumed "masa"?It is the spiritual development of the Voyadores, not the improvement of the "andas",that will transform the Penafrancia Fiesta into becoming a truly religious celebration of theBicolanos' love and devotion for Ina.The bottom line, always, is development of people, never of things.

5. ACCOUNT FOR ALL THE MONEY DONATED TO THE ARCHDIOCESE.

The bishops and the clergy today clamor for transparency in government. If you demandthis from public officials, then be transparent yourselves, all the more so because youproclaim yourselves, and are even looked up to by many, as spiritual leaders.It would be proper, at all times, to account for every centavo that is dropped in thecollection boxes and more so for the funds raised in every fund-raising travel of parish prieststo the US and other parts of the world, ostensibly for the construction and/or repair of churches, adoration chapels or Easter towers. Institute a system of audit so that, at the end of the year, the Archdiocese can render a public accounting of all the money donated for the yearand all the funds spent for the various projects of the Archdiocese.Corollary to this, tell the people how much Church money was really involved in the G-7Bank fiasco. Did the Church lose money in that double-your- money-in- five-years scamperpetrated by the local clergy's once favorite local Chinoy, Mr. Fidel Cu?Were funds from the Madrigal Foundation, which you head, also invested in that scam?Who else among the priests here in the Archdiocese invested Church money in the G-7 Bank and how much?

You accuse public officials of "immoderate greed". From what I've heard about themoney invested in the G-7 Bank by the Archbishop and a certain parish priest, there appearsto be a great amount of "immoderate greed" involved in this scam, too! Bear in mind: only thegreedy succumb to get-rich-quick scams.The Penafrancia Fiesta is just over and people know for a fact that many moneyeddevotees from Bicol and from other parts of the country, and even from other countries,deposit "envelopes" at the Archbishop's Palace during the Fiesta in the hope of ensuring theyget their blessings from Ina.Do these "envelopes" go to the Archbishop's personal "nest egg"? Shouldn't theArchbishop render a public accounting for these "envelopes"?Practice what you preach. Be honest and tell the people. This is the amazing grace: Thetruth shall set you free!

6. ACCOUNT FOR ALL THE LANDS DONATED TO THE ARCHDIOCESE.

Where are all these lands now? What has the Archdiocese done with them? Were thestipulations and conditions in the donations prudently followed?Now may be timely to create an Archdiocesan Committee to collate all the lands donatedto the Archdiocese and make a public report on the status of each donation.I have a particular interest in this regard because Archbishop Legaspi violated the LastWill of Fabiana Arejola, my aunt, regarding the Capilihan Estate here in Naga City.For your information, my father, Antonio P. Arejola, has executed a "Testament on theFabiana Arejola Mausoleum and the Arejola Family", copy furnished the Archbishop and theheirs of Fabiana Arejola. Read the copy of the document furnished the Archbishop and see foryourself how the Archbishop connived with so-called heirs of Fabiana Arejola in robbing theChurch of the Capilihan Estate which she legated to the Naga Cathedral Parish. ThisTestament is a public document having been duly notarized, copies of which are depositedwith the Bongat and Borja Law Office here in Naga City.When the Archbishop aids and abets in robbing the very Church that he is bound touphold and protect, shouldn't he be investigated for such a felony?This is a grave offense by the Archbishop. In civil society this would be considered asplunder. No less than an open investigation into this matter should be conducted by a properArchdiocesan Council. Who knows? This may not be just an isolated case.Again, the bottom line is accountability. No one is, and should be, exempt from it -- noteven, and most especially, the head of the Archdiocese of Caceres.

7. STOP EXCESSIVE MEDDLING IN CIVIL AFFAIRS.

Remember the devil's temptation on Christ in the desert that He could have all the richesand all the power in the world if He would just kneel before the devil? Christ rejected thetemptation.Among Ed Panlilio, however, claims that he heard none other than "the voice of God"urging him to go into politics. And now, is it true that a parish priest here in Naga is alsoharboring the same delusion of grandeur?Heed the wise counsel of Pope John Paul II to the clergy: "You are priests, not social orpolitical leaders. Let us not be under the illusion that we are serving the Gospel throughexaggerated interest in the wide field of temporal problems."