Carlos Celdran. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
President Aquino believes the leadership of the Catholic Church should forgive activist tour guide Carlos Celdran but he was quick to point out he was not necessarily in favor of his rather unorthodox methods.
鈥淲ell, I may sympathize with Mr. Celdran鈥檚 position鈥攑erhaps the methodology during a Mass we don鈥檛 agree with it,鈥� said Mr. Aquino in an ambush interview after he delivered a speech at the National Economic and Development Authority in Pasig City Tuesday.
Celdran was found guilty of offending religious feelings and was sentenced to up to a year in prison by a Manila Metropolitan Trial Court on Monday.
Dressed like the national hero Jose Rizal, Celdran had stood before the main altar of the Manila Cathedral during an ecumenical service last year and, yelling, raised a placard with the name 鈥淒amaso鈥� on it鈥攄isrupting the service and earning the ire of the clergy and the faithful.
Damaso is the villain-priest in Rizal鈥檚 novel 鈥淣oli Me Tangere,鈥� which depicted the abuses of the Spanish friars during the time the Philippines was a colony of Spain.
Asked if he had any thoughts about the possible implication of the court decision on the practice of the freedom of speech, Mr. Aquino replied: 鈥淟et鈥檚 look at all the details first. Again, I saw it (decision) in the papers. I haven鈥檛 had the occasion to read the decision. I鈥檓 not afforded (a copy of) decisions before they are promulgated. So we have to secure the copy (first).鈥�
But Mr. Aquino pointed out that freedom of expression had its limits too.
鈥淟et鈥檚 see if there are implications. Of course, there is a constitutional provision on freedom of speech, but our rights have limitations as to what we can say, and where we can say it,鈥� he said.
The clergy, however, had long forgiven Celdran but the court has spoken and they could only respect its decision, Catholic Bishops鈥� Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president and Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma said at a church forum in Intramuros, Manila, on Tuesday.
鈥淲e can only love and forgive but the decision of the court is its verdict on the matter 鈥� we just say amen to the decision,鈥� said Palma.
Palma was asked his thoughts on the guilty verdict handed down by MTC Judge Juan Bermejo Jr. on Celdran for violation of聽 Article 133 of the Revised Penal Code, or offending religious feelings.
Asked if the CBCP would appeal to the court to let Celdran off the hook, Palma replied: 鈥淲e respect the decision of the court. It鈥檚 not for me to oppose.鈥�
He also could not say if the penalty meted out to Celdran was harsh since he had not read the decision.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know yet because we just came out of the [plenary] session and I just saw it on TV. I just know the court has decided,鈥� he said.
The CBCP had nothing to do with the case that was filed against Celdran. It was the Manila Cathedral, under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Manila, that pursued the case.
Celdran had mounted his protest against the Church鈥檚 opposition to the reproductive health bill then pending in Congress.
The measure became law last December when it was signed by Mr. Aquino without fanfare to avoid exacerbating the rift between the administration and the Catholic Church over his support of the bill.
Originally posted: 4:59 pm | Tuesday, January 29th, 2013