CEBU, Philippines - Three former monks of the Our Lady of Holy Eucharist in Simala, Sibonga town yesterday exposed indecent acts allegedly done inside the famed prayer house, but a legal consultant of the Archdiocese of Cebu said the allegations remain hearsay if there is no formal complaint.
In an interview over dyAB yesterday, Brother Paul Cabillon, one of the three former monks, alleged a “Miss Gay” competition is being held at the prayer house and the monks running it allegedly engage in sexual intercourse.
He also revealed that the monks would allegedly buy “rematado” jewelry or jewelry that were pawned but not claimed by their owners and would tell the congregation that the same were donated by a devotee for the Blessed Virgin. This would reportedly persuade other devotees to follow suit and donate their own jewelry.
Aside from this, the monks would reportedly make it appear that a devotee donated P50,000 pesos so that the other devotees would also donate money.
He further alleged that there are actually different images of the miraculous Virgin Mary so that devotees would believe that the virgin would change her expression, such that there is a happy and sad image of her.
But Atty. Julius Neri, one of the legal consultants and member of the administrative board of Archdiocese of Cebu, said the allegations remain hearsay.
“I don’t know of anything and we will wait if there is a complaint, but as of now, there is nothing,” Neri said.
Meanwhile Msgr. Esteban Binghay, a devotee of Our Lady of Eucharist, questioned why the former monks had to air their supposed expose to the media.
“What is the purpose of media? Media cannot solve it,” Binghay said, adding, “I wish they would have addressed their complaint to the Archbishop of Cebu, Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, for proper action.”
He said that if the former monks do not trust the Cardinal, they could always forward their complaints to the Vatican.
Binghay said he received information that one of the complainants has been considered AWOL or absent without official leave. The monk reportedly asked permission to join another congregation in Leyte but it was later found out that he never attended the congregation there.
The congregation in Simala reportedly called his attention but the monk reportedly did not return.
Subsequently, Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal reportedly dispensed him of his vows on poverty, obedience and chastity. — Johanna T. Natavio/JMO (THE FREEMAN)