Binay to attend Pope installation

CANDABA, Pampanga, Philippines – Vice President Jejomar Binay will leave for Vatican tomorrow to represent President Aquino during the installation of Pope Francis on Tuesday.

“It is a rare opportunity to witness the installation of a new pope, and I am honored to represent the President and the Filipino people to attend Pope Francis’ inaugural Mass,” Binay said yesterday.

Other heads of state are expected to attend the pontiff’s installation Mass.

Binay earlier praised Pope Francis’ compassion for the poor.

“He reminds us that serving our fellowmen is a duty not only of the Church, but of all Catholics. As he begins his papacy, we pray that he will lead the Church with wisdom, humility, compassion and grace,” he said.

Clerical pedophilia

Meanwhile, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago yesterday expressed hope that the Catholic Church under Pope Francis will be able to address concerns on clerical pedophilia by allowing priests to marry and have a family.

Santiago also underscored the need to open the discussions on the installation of female priests because less and less men want to go into priesthood.

 With Pope Francis at the helm, Santiago said the Church, as an institution, “moves very, very carefully” in terms of reform.

 â€œWe cannot expect overnight reforms. But I hope that he will be able to address issues such as the ordination of female priests. They have to sooner or later because we are running out of male priests,” she said.

 Apart from being a topnotch lawyer, Santiago finished Masters of Arts in Religious Studies at the Maryhill School of Theology, and published her master’s dissertation, Christianity versus Corruption, political theology of the third world, as a fellow at the St. Hilda’s College in Oxford.

Santiago expressed hope that the new pope will look into the controversies on sexual assaults involving sacristans.

 â€œThey will not be able to solve the problem of clerical pedophilia if they don’t allow these people to get married, if they want to be married. They need to live normal lives,” the senator said. -With Christina Mendez