Negros parish priest bans town officials from church

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – The parish priest of Murcia, Negros Occidental has banned the town’s mayor and other local officials from his church and barred them from receiving any sacrament.

In his three homilies last Sunday, Fr. Greg Patiño, priest of the Immaculate Conception parish in Murcia, said he was banning Murcia Mayor Andrew Montelibano and members of the municipal council from the church.

Patiño apparently made the move after the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) passed a resolution asking Bishop Vicente Navarra of the Diocese of Bacolod to relieve him and his assistant, Fr. Agustin Hinayan, for supposedly projecting Murcia as a haven of illegal drugs and gambling. 

“Along with my assistant priest (Fr. Hinayan), by the virtue vested upon me by the Catholic Church, I declare that starting today the mayor of Murcia along with all the SB members, could no longer receive any sacrament from this parish church,” Patiño said in his Sunday homily.

Patiño said the municipal council’s resolution not only insulted him and Hinayan but also Navarra.

“They are dictating (upon) the bishop… The officials used their state power and authority to drive us away from the parish. It’s unfortunate because most of these officials are also Catholics,” he said.

Patiño said local officials should instead welcome them because their advocacy against illegal drugs and gambling is meant to have peace and order in Murcia.

“We just educate the people of the evil effects of gambling and illegal drugs. Along with the pastors and school officials of Murcia, we wrote a letter to the mayor to address the situation. We never expected negative reactions from them,” he said.

Sought for reaction, Montelibano refused to give any comment, saying he was just leaving the matter to Navarra.

He said he is not against the church and that Navarra has called the attention of Patiño and Hinayan that they should not use the church in discussing the issues in Murcia.

Navarra has called on both the local officials and the priests to stop their bickering and refrain from airing their sentiments to the media.

In her Sunday sermon, Patiño said Murcia Vice Mayor Gerry Rojas is excluded from the ban because he is not a Murcia parishioner as he lives in Bacolod City.