Letter to the Editor — On that sexually harassing priest

Last November 14, 20 high school students of Abellana National School alleged that a priest improperly touched them at the confessional yielding a feeling of discomfort. If their allegation is proven to be true, which can only be done if the identity of the accused is revealed by the church authorities, then that improper conduct, severely punishable by Canon Law (Church Law) and by Civil Law has done a serious damage to the Roman Catholic Church in general and to the Sacrament of Penance or Confession in particular.

There is a danger that people might generalize that all Roman Catholic priests are like that dark-skinned, in his 40's and on the heavy side, confessor who touched the penitents' waists and/or necks. This hasty generalization is of course very wrong and this writer can vouch that most, if not all, of our Roman Catholic priests are carefully maintaining the sacredness of the Sacrament of Penance as well as the secrecy of the Confessional. However, God alone knows how many priests take advantage of that secrecy to exploit those who reveal their frailties/weaknesses to them as done by that priest accused by those 20 students of improper conduct while they confessed to God through His anomalous minister.

This writer does not wish to fault the organizers of the Life in the Spirit Seminar. The LSS has undeniably helped greatly in reducing drug addiction and in minimizing fraternity affiliation among our young people. But like all good movements, it has to weather the storms and trials coming from the world (asking for an accounting of the students' contributions to defray the expenses involved in the conduct of that seminar), the flesh (in the person of that anomalous priest), and the devil who must be very glad at the controversy that the Roman Catholic Church is currently undergoing.

Apropos of this controversy involving the Sacrament of Penance or Confession, non-Roman Catholics do not practice the so-called auricular confession or the telling of their sins to a priest at the confessional in order to get absolution. They confess directly to God and they have their reasons for doing so. We, Roman Catholics, also have our reasons. With the indulgence of our Protestant brothers/sisters, when we hear the words of absolution uttered by the priest we have the moral certitude of being forgiven, although God alone knows whether we are truly forgiven. In other words, nobody is absolutely sure (absolute certitude) that he/she is forgiven by God.

In the final analysis then, it ultimately is between the person and God. One who confesses his sins directly to God and sins no more is better off than the one who avails of the priest's ministries but keeps on committing the same sins. This could be one of the reasons why our country, which is 85 percent Roman Catholic, is still in the Third World in spite of its very rich natural resources. Mindanao alone can feed the more than 80 million Filipinos. Perhaps some Roman Catholics do not mind cheating the government billions of pesos. Anyway they can easily get absolution from the priest/bishop/cardinal.

To conclude, a boy accused himself in confession of having stolen some fruits. Upon hearing the penance given by the priest to recite five Our Father's, five Hail Mary's, five Glory Be's, the young penitent requested the latter to make the number times 10 because he will steal some more fruits.

Our non-Roman Catholic brethren have the advantage of getting God's forgiveness without passing through the ministrations of a priest who can be immoral like us.

Agustin L. Sollano Jr.
Cebu City