Palma: We will defend the right of the church

Fr. Roy Bucag, the fighting priest of Santa Fe, Bantayan Island, smiles as he receives the sacred oil from Archbishop Jose Palma during the Chrism Mass at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral on Tuesday. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma has rallied behind Fr. Roy Bucag, parish priest of Santa Fe, Bantayan Island, who drew the ire of Mayor Jose Esgana last Saturday for organizing a dawn prayer rally opposing the town’s controversial Isla Music Festival which is scheduled on Holy Week.

While the mayor threatened the priest with a suit for holding the prayer rally without a permit and for allegedly committing “child abuse” for “using” children to hold the anti-festival tarpaulins during the dawn procession, Palma said the priest did nothing wrong.

“Bahala sila kung magfile sila og kaso. (It’s up to them if they will file a case against Fr. Bucag). Our point is we will try to defend the right of the church,” Palma said.

Asked if the archdiocese will provide a lawyer to defend Fr. Bucag, Palma said, “We will take it one step at a time.”

In past cases, the archdiocese provided legal counsels to priests who were charged in court for performing their official functions.

Palma said the parish priest was willing to sit down with Esgana to settle the issues.

But the 67-year-old prelate said any celebration should be in consonance with the traditions of Holy Week.

Isla Music Festival is scheduled to be held on April 13 to 15 when Christians commemorate the passion and death of Jesus Christ.

“It is clearly improper for any entity to hold any gathering that would disrupt the solemn nature of Holy Week. During the most sacred time of the liturgical year, I hope we will ponder upon everything that our Lord has done for our sake,” Palma said.

Palma pointed out that even the Aglipayan Church in Santa Fe was one with the Catholic Church in opposing the festival.

“I hope our government officials will respect a long-standing tradition on Holy Week when we reflect on the passion and death of Jesus. Dancing or having that music festival on Holy Week is not proper,” Palma said in an interview after the Chrism Mass and renewal of priestly vows at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral yesterday morning.

During the event, Fr. Bucag received long rounds of applause from about 500 priests and bishops as he walked down the center aisle of the cathedral to get the sacred oil from Palma. He was greeted with smiles and warm wishes by the archbishop and members of the clergy.

After the liturgical celebration, Fr. Bucag begged off from issuing any statements to the media.

But Archbishop Palma was all praises for the Cebuano priest who, he said, stood up for what is right.

“The applause you heard is our way of saying we are behind him,” Palma said.