HELL' WARNING
[PHOTO - Senator Miriam
Defensor-Santiago. INQUIRER FILE
PHOTO]
MANILA,
MARCH 7, 2012 (INQUIRER) By
Maila Ager - Santiago: There is no hell.
This was how Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago countered on Monday a statement
by a priest that she should be consigned to the fires of hell supposedly for
calling as "fool" the prosecution team in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice
Renato Corona.
"Under Vatican 2, there is no hell; but even if there is, there is nobody
there," Santiago said in a statement.
"In theology, hell is not a geographical place, but is a metaphor for
distance from God," she said, reacting to Fr. Catalino Arevalo, who took a swipe
at her during the weekend.
Santiago then went on attacking the priest, who she said sounded like a
"publicity hound."
"The priest is saying that he is close to God, and I'm not. I say to the
priest, judge not, that you shall not be judged," she said.
Santiago said she was told that Arevalo had approached certain journalists to
make sure that his homily would be reported in the print media.
"It is like St. Paul writing letters to the Corinthians, and begging them to
publicize his letters. This priest sounds very much like a publicity hound. And
I thought humility in spiritual matters is a virtue."
Under Vatican 2, Santiago said, the Catholic Church no longer clings to the
monopoly on truth.
"Under Vatican 2, priests and nuns should be treated like everyone else. They
are not special people just because they have joined a religious community. It
does not make them any more smarter or holier than you and me."
Instead of meddling in politics, Santiago said the priest should spend his
energy fighting pedophilia within the Catholic Church.
"That priest should spend his energy fighting pedophilia within the Catholic
Church, instead of meddling in politics and serving to divide church
practitioners," she said.
The senator also criticized Arevalo for making a literal interpretation of
the Bible.
"Under Vatican 2, the story of Genesis is no longer a historical fact but a
myth. The Bible should not be read literally, but should be read in its Aramaic
context. Unfortunately, some of the religious refuse to accept the changes
started by Vatican 2," she said.
"I can engage in a public debate with the priest, and we can exchange
quotation for quotation from the Bible. But that would be foolish, because the
Bible can be interpreted in as many ways as there are Christian churches,"
Santiago added.
Santiago blasts priest over 'hell' warning By
Christian V. Esguerra Philippine Daily Inquirer
She isn't the type who would back down when challenged by a fellow
politician or by a fellow lawyer. Neither would she when confronted by a man of
the cloth.
Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago (photo) on Sunday came out firing
against a Catholic priest who criticized her for repeatedly scolding prosecutors
over their supposed incompetence in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice
Renato Corona.
Santiago took exception to a remark by Fr. Catalino Arevalo in his homily
suggesting she could be "worthy of the fires of hell," particularly for
referring to the prosecution team as gago (fool) during a trial session last
week.
"The Constitution provides for a wall of separation between Church and State.
A priest cannot violate the law in the guise of criticizing a senator-judge with
the ulterior motive of promoting his own political agenda," Santiago said in a
statement.
Arevalo, a Jesuit in his 80s who is close to the family of President Benigno
Aquino III, quoted Matthew 5:20 in taking a swipe at the mercurial senator: "But
I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable
to judgement. And if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the
council. And if you say, 'You fool,' you will be liable to the fires of hell."
'Publicity hound'
"I can engage in a public debate with the priest and we can exchange
quotation for quotation from the Bible," said Santiago, who holds a master's
degree from Maryhill School of Theology.
"But that would be foolish, because the Bible can be interpreted in as many
ways as there are Christian churches."
Santiago said Arevalo "sounds very much like a publicity hound," claiming the
priest had asked reporters to write about his homily.
"And I thought humility in spiritual matters is a virtue," she said.
"The priest is saying that he is close to God and I'm not. I say to the
priest, judge not, that you shall not be judged," she added.
Both at fault
At Thursday's trial, Santiago berated prosecutors for suddenly dropping five
of the eight impeachment articles against Corona.
She was also incensed by the prosecution's pronouncement that it now had
"overwhelming" evidence to convict Corona, even if the defense was yet to argue
its case.
Santiago was even more angered when a private prosecutor, Vitaliano Aguirre,
covered his ears each time the senator took the floor. Aguirre was later cited
for contempt.
Former Ambassador Roy Señeres, Aguirre's former classmate at San Beda
College's law school, said Aguirre should not be punished, noting that while
Aguirre was cited for contempt by the Senate, Santiago was never chided for
calling the prosecutors fools.
"He and Senator Santiago are in pari delicto (equal in fault). Both committed
contemptuous behavior. Aguirre should not be punished unless Santiago is
punished also. If the Senate can't punish Santiago, they might as well not
punish Aguirre also. The entire Senate would be committing a contemptuous act if
they punish Aguirre only," Señeres said in a text message.
"The Senate should not commit an injustice upon Aguirre," he added.
Aguirre has since quit the prosecution team. With a report from Jerome C.
Aning
Chief News Editor: Sol
Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE
NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS
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