Palma dismayed at churches rejecting evacuees
Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma yesterday voiced out his disappointment over reports that some churches refused to open their doors to evacuees.
The 63-year-old prelate said Catholic churches should serve as refuge for people, especially during typhoons and other calamities.
“Certainly, I’m not happy if some parishes won’t accommodate evacuees. In emergencies like this, we should be open, ready, and welcoming. We should be ready to help and provide food, shelter, water, and medicine,” he said.
Palma earlier instructed all parish priests and team moderators, particularly in the northern part of Cebu, to open the churches and their facilities for evacuees—Catholic or not. But last Friday, Palma said he received a report that a church in Talisay City didn’t accommodate evacuees.
On guard
The church is under the supervision of the Order of the Augustinian Recollects. Even if a church is under a congregation, Palma said they should be ready to accept evacuees.
“I encourage congregations to likewise open their doors to evacuees. In fact, in Tacloban, I’m happy to note that among the first to open their doors during Yolanda were the Redemptorists,” he said.
Be prepared
As supertyphoon Ruby is expected to hit the northern part of the Visayas today, Palma advised people to be extra careful and to follow instructions from authorities. “We should continue to monitor. This time around, we should be prepared,” he said.
Fr. Charles Jayme, head of the relief and rehabilitation unit of the Cebu Archdiocese, is on top of the Church’s operations in the northern part of Cebu.
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