Musings at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral

CEBU, Philippines - It was the Third Sunday of Lent, on March 8, when my wife and I decided to offer (not “to attend” as though we were going to attend a basketball game) Mass at the principal church of the Archdiocese of Cebu – the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.

The Gospel for that day was taken from St. John 2:13-25 about Jesus cleansing the Temple of Jerusalem: “Using a whip out of cords, Jesus drove out of the temple area those who were selling oxen, sheep, and doves as well as the money changers seated there.  He spilled the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.”  He did not want that His Father’s house (the temple) be made a market place!

We arrived as the previous Mass, officiated by a Bishop, was about to end.  Before entering the cathedral, I had the opportunity to inquire about what was on a huge tarpaulin to the left of the main entrance re pilgrimages to the Holy Land and various shrines in Europe.  The man at the long table told me that he was there to collect signatures against the pork barrel.  The one in charge in connection with the pilgrimages was not around, according to him.  Those who signed for the scrapping of the pork barrel perhaps did not know how much the Roman Catholic Church received out of our legislators’ PDAF. God alone knows!

The sound system in the Cathedral was excellent and those inside could follow what was going on in the sanctuary via TV screens installed in strategic places.  Aside from the benches, there were also numerous white monoblock chairs to accommodate as many as possible.  The toilets were very clean and there is no specified amount for their use, only donations.  Kudos to those in charge of these facilities. Of course, ultimately the credit goes to the top person in the cathedral’s “chain of command,” namely the parish priest.

The 10 a.m. Mass actually started 15 minutes late because it took a lay minister in white long sleeve shirt about quarter of an hour to read all the “intentions” for which that Mass was offered.  One can just imagine the total amount of all those Mass stipends.  When we were ordained priests forever by the then Archbishop of Cebu Julio R. Cardinal Rosales, in the same Metropolitan Cathedral on April 06, 1968, we were allowed to accept only one stipend or “Mass intention” a day.  Only for extraordinary occasions and with the permission of the Bishop were we allowed to accept more than one.

Indeed, times have changed! Nowadays there is the danger that religion can become the world’s greatest business.  And if our Lord Jesus Christ were in our midst today, He might cleanse the temple, just like what happened in the Gospel on that Sunday.  Of course, not with a whip out of cords, but via the electronic and print media.

Precious memories passed through my mind while waiting for the Mass to start.  The sight of a mother holding the hand of her little daughter who was just starting to walk; a mother feeding her child from a bottle while the grandma was looking on made me nudge my wife reminding her of the times when we were going through the same experiences.

Seeing the tourists, both local and foreign, taking photos of the choir lofts to the left and to the right of the pipe organ above the main entrance, reminded me of the tourists who were all eyes and ears inside the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome while I was an SVD seminarian there (1962-64) and a diocesan priest-scholar (1975-77).  One of them was even taking a selfie on his visit to the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, with the sanctuary in the background.

The architecture above the main altar where the tabernacle is, is now very much more ornate than when we were ordained 47 years ago together with Rev. Frs. Nicolas Batucan, Marcial Casagnap (also married), Faustino Cortes (RIP), Cesar Garces (for the Archdiocese of Zamboanga), and Gerardo dela Victoria (the current parish priest of Ginatilan).  The anagram on top of the structure is still the same; namely, IHS standing for “Iesus Hominum Salvator,” Jesus Savior of Men, meaning that our Lord Jesus Christ is true God (otherwise, He could not adequately atone for the offense man committed against the infinite God ) and true man (otherwise, he could not suffer and die on the cross for our salvation).

Prominent on the left side of the sanctuary is the Archbishop’s throne.  It is unfortunate that Archbishop Palma’s predecessor who used to sit on it, the venerable Cardinal Emeritus, is among those who are for President Aquino’s resignation.  The latter who was once the Archbishop of Lipa, Batangas, and the current head of the Lipa Archdiocese (if my memory serves me right) must have been recipients of benefactions from the beleaguered Vice President who would rightfully succeed the President if ever he steps down.  “Utang na loob” is very strong among us Filipinos, right? Unfortunate I say because Cardinal Tagle calls them “panggulo.”

To console us Roman Catholics, let us remember that the Pope alone sitting on the “cathedra” in Rome, or together with the Bishops from all over the world in an Ecumenical Council, is endowed with “infallibility,” meaning he or they cannot err when making solemn pronouncements on faith and morals – not just on anything, especially on political matters. Why can’t they wait till the 2016 elections? They are rocking not only our country but also St. Peter’s boat.  Let us pray for them!