Politicians unwelcome at priests’ congress

MANILA (UCAN) — Politicians will be barred from a national congress of the clergy, was the blunt message from the head of Manila archdiocese.

Priests did not want a media circus that distracted them from their spiritual focus, said Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales.

The Second National Congress of the Clergy will be held at the World Trade Center (WTC) from Jan. 25-29.

The ban follows concern about a recent priests’ retreat that was invaded by politicians jockeying for position ahead of this year’s general election.

“Somehow politicians found out where we were and barged into our retreat and disrupted it,” Bishop Florentino Lavarias of Iba, head of the Philippines Commission on Clergy, told reporters.

He said he hopes this would not happen at the national congress.

Bishop Lavarias said as the May 10 general elections approach, politicians are hungry for photo opportunities with priests and bishops which they see as helping their election chances.

Father Raniero Cantalamessa, a Franciscan Capuchin and retreat master for Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, will preside at three days of the retreat. Filipino Bishop Luis Antonio Tagle of Imus will preside over the last two days, touching on the spiritual pastoral context of the Church in the Philippines.

The retreat has special significance during the special Year for Priests that Pope Benedict XVI launched in 2009.

Jesus dela Fuente from the logistics committee organizing the event, told UCA News that 5,000 priests and bishops had registered for the five-day retreat.

They are from 86 ecclesiastical territories and 38 religious congregations, and from Rome and the United States.

PR08563.1585 January 19, 2010 27 EM-lines (262 words)