Palma: Don't blame God for disasters

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma reminds the people not to blame God for the disasters that the world has experienced.

Palma pointed out that the people normally think that we are being punished by God every time a calamity strikes without considering that most of these are man-made disasters.

Palma, who celebrated yesterday's mass at the Cathedral in celebration of the World Day of the Sick, issued his reminder amid the people's belief that God is gradually annihilating the earth.

"Unta di lang iingon na as if everything punishment ni Lord labi na ang mga calamities partly nature lang na. Daghan sa mga calamities are also because of human factors (I hope we do not blame everything as punishment from the Lord especially the calamities. Many of the calamities are also because of human factors)," Palma said.

For one, Palma said calamities such as floodings and landslides in the past happened because of men's deforestation, without even reforesting.

“Kung may kahoy pa, dili unta ingon niini kadako ang perwisyo (if there were trees the damage would not have been big),” Palma said, also referring to the flashfloods that hit Cagayan De Oro City during the typhoon Sendong last December.

Another explanation for these recent tragedies, Palma said, is that the Philippines is among those mostly-hit by natural calamities owing to its location on the western edge of the Pacific Ocean, along the Ring of Fire.

“Normally, kung naay mahitabo mga linog, mga bagyo, ang mga tawo mag-blame na sa Ginoo. Misteryo man gyud ni sa mga realities sa kalibutan labi na sa Philippines (if there are earthquake and typhoon the people blame God. These are mysteries of the realities on earth especially in the Philippines,” Palma said.

Humans, the archbishop said, can also prevent the extent of damages brought by calamities, at least, by taking the necessary precautions like avoiding from constructing houses and shanties in loose cliffs, which can be easily swayed by slight tremors.

Despite these calamities, either natural or man-made, the archbishop calls on the people to continue to trust in God.

“Ang ato lang gyud is salig lang gyud ta sa Ginoo labi na kining mga kalamidad na wa ta’y control ug di ta makatagna like earthquake (ours is to trust God especially in times of calamities that we do not have control of and we cannot prevent like earthquake),” he said.

The archbishop called on the Cebuano flocks and the people of Negros Oriental which bore the brunt of the 6.9 magnitude earthquake last Monday, not to lose hope.

“Kung maguba man atong balay it doesn’t mean maguba na gyud ang atong future. Kung dunay pagsalig, muabot ra gyud ang panahon na maka-rebuild kita sa atong balay (If our house is destroyed it does not mean that our future is destroyed as well. If we have trust time will come that we can rebuild our house),” Palma said.

Palma also asked the people to refrain from sending wrong information that would create panic.

Palma, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, said he has instructed all the bishops nationwide to help in one way or another in extending assistance to the earthquake victims, just like what they did to typhoon victims.  (FREEMAN)