EDITORIAL – Glass houses

Because she is the wife of Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, it cannot be helped that the appointment of Cristina Ponce Enrile as Philippine ambassador to the Vatican will invite suspicions of political accommodation.

President Arroyo, her hold on power getting to be more tenuous by the day, needs the support of Senator Enrile, especially in an increasingly hostile Senate. A character unto himself, it is always better to have the senator as an ally rather than as an enemy.

And so there is no need to belabor the point that the appointment of Mrs. Enrile as Philippine envoy to the Holy See must be rooted in a presidential desire to keep the husband docile and happy.

But the appointment met with sharp criticism by the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. Without explaining its objections, the church said it should have been consulted on the choice of an ambassador who would be dealing with the pope.

The objection is both unfair and uncalled for. It is unfair because it did not go into details, thereby depriving both Mrs. Enrile and the president of the chance to reply. It is uncalled for because it interferes with a matter that is clearly an affair of the state.

This incident is just the latest in an increasing trend of the church to dip its hands into things that are not of its concern. And sadly, this incident is the latest push by the church toward increasing alienation from its real obligations to its flock.

Roman Catholics in the Philippines are getting more disillusioned by the day with their priests and bishops, who appear too quick to meddle in political affairs but too slow and too secretive about problems within the church.

The church cannot continue invoking its moral obligation to be involved in state matters and at the same time not invoke its moral obligation to cleanse its own ranks of secret sinners. For the nth time, those who live in glass houses must not throw any stones.