Archbishop tells priests not to be cowed by threats

April 19, 2019

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas Friday said priests and bishops showed not be cowed by threats and insults as this is part of their job.

In his homily at the St. John the Evangelist Cathedral in Dagupan City, the former president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said: “There is nothing surprising with priests being threatened with death. We should not have accepted ordination if we were afraid to die or be killed for the Lord. It is destiny. It is fate.”

“Death is not a threat. It is our destiny. To be killed is not a defeat of our mission. Martyrdom is the crowning glory of our mission,” he added.

“Brother priests, make friends with death. Let death not threaten you. The call to the priesthood is a call to die. It is clear. There is no priesthood without victimhood. We would be fake priests if we separated the Upper Room from Calvary,” furthered Villegas.

Villegas said priests and fellow bishops must accept being called many names, such as child predators, priest playboys, priest gamblers, and priest husbands.

He also said priests must accept being sent to a nation whose leader mocks God.

The prelate said his colleagues should be ready to face a society, where honesty is optional and delicadeza is outdated.

Villegas said priests must face the Catholic faithful clapping on such acts by the nation’s leader.

“We must be priests for all seasons, priests for sunny middays and dark midnights. We may have to go through these dreary times of darkness but behind the clouds the sun is still shining. Death is our mission and in our death the world receives life,” he said.

“We have been through better times when priests were revered, trusted and esteemed. Those days seem to be behind us but we are still here serving as priests in season and out of season,” added Villegas.

Villegas urged priests and prelates to be more determined to confront “with holy anger” more than 30,000 senseless murders of the poor in the name of a false drug-free society.

He said they must also exorcise the “creeping culture” of vulgarity, obscenity, lewd jokes, and lack of good breeding, with the humble power of the Crucified Lord.

“Bring the fight not just in the pulpit but on social media and in the plaza. Flood social media with the power of love. Make good manners fragrant and attractive. Make them see the mercy of God on Facebook,” said Villegas. DMS