A Filipino priest, elected provincial governor in northern Philippines, said God has called him to run in the presidential race next year.

Gov. Eddie Panlilio, 55, who became the first Filipino priest to sit in public office, said he loves his priesthood very much, but he might be forced to leave it for the sake of the nation.

The priest-turned-politician is now very busy going around the country to complete their slate of candidates for the 2010 national elections. The governor, however, stressed his decision is not yet final since he still needs to feel the public pulse and acceptance of his candidacy.

Panlilio, who is suspended from performing priestly duties for entering politics, defeated two administration candidates in a close race for the governorship in Pampanga in 2007.

If elected, Panlilio said his administration would focus on the areas of livelihood, health, food security, and would address the problem of insurgency and corruption. (source)

See also here.

A Filipino priest, elected provincial governor in northern Philippines, said God has called him to run in the presidential race next year.

Gov. Eddie Panlilio, 55, who became the first Filipino priest to sit in public office, said he loves his priesthood very much, but he might be forced to leave it for the sake of the nation.

The priest-turned-politician is now very busy going around the country to complete their slate of candidates for the 2010 national elections. The governor, however, stressed his decision is not yet final since he still needs to feel the public pulse and acceptance of his candidacy.

Panlilio, who is suspended from performing priestly duties for entering politics, defeated two administration candidates in a close race for the governorship in Pampanga in 2007.

If elected, Panlilio said his administration would focus on the areas of livelihood, health, food security, and would address the problem of insurgency and corruption. (source)

See also here.

ROME — Pope Benedict XVI recently appointed five bishops from as many countries to investigate the Legionaries of Christ, a religious order founded in 1941 by the late Fr. Marcial Maciel Degollado, a Mexican priest who is accused of sexually abusing young seminarians, and who left a grown daughter who was born out-of-wedlock.

Even after death, Maciel wields power through the influence he secured. While the American Catholic Church has been publicly battered by two decades of priest sexual abuse scandals that erupted in the press and devastated church finances with hundreds of millions of dollars spent on compensating victims and legal fees, the Maciel scandal has gone largely unnoticed by most of the American press.

There’s a reason: For decades, the Legion shunned the media while Maciel cultivated relationships with some of the most powerful, conservative Catholics in the world. He also forced his priests and seminarians to take vows never to criticize him, or any superior. The legion built a network of prep schools and an astonishing database of donors. In Maciel’s militant spirituality, Legionaries — and their wing of lay supporters, Regnum Christi — see themselves as saving the church from a corrupted world. Behind the silence he imposed, Maciel was corrupt — abusing seminarians and using money in ways that several past and present seminarians liken to bribery, in forging ties with church officials.

The silence Maciel imposed on his followers allowed Maciel to pursue a double life.

Maciel, who was born into a wealthy ranching family in Mexico, wooed cardinals and bishops with money, fine wines, $1,000 hams and even a new car — and in so doing secured support for his religious order inside the Roman Curia.

Now, as the investigating bishops, called “visitators” — from America, Italy, Mexico, Spain and Chile — begin travels for interviews in the order’s far-flung religious houses, two Vatican officials are in the Legion’s corner.

Angelo Sodano, Dean of the College of Cardinals and the former Secretary of State, and Franc Rode, the cardinal who oversees religious congregations, were both longtime al
lies of Maciel and strong supporters of the order today.

The issue facing Benedict has no precedent in modern church history: whether to dismantle a movement with a $650 million budget yet only about 700 priests and 2,500 seminarians, or to keep the brand name and try to reform an organization still run as a cult of personality to its founder. Excessive materialism and psychological coercion tactics continue Maciel’s legacy.

Two years ago Benedict abolished the “secret vows” by which each Legionary swore never to criticize Maciel or any superior, and to report any criticism to the leadership. The vows helped facilitate Maciel’s secret life of sexual plunder. . . . (continue reading)

Pop culture news blog reports that rumors that Michael Jackson accepted Christ may have been false. Jackson, who died of cardiac arrest last week at the age of 50, was rumored by some to have become a Christian just weeks before his death.

Gospel singer Andrae Crouch and his twin sister, singer and minister, Sandra, apparently visited Jackson recently at the pop star’s request, and they did pray together. But exactly what they prayed depends on whom you ask.

Last Friday, gospel duo Mary Mary blogged on their Facebook page that Jackson “prayed with Sandra and Andre and accepted Christ into his heart. Now he’s singing in the heavenly choir! Our hearts rejoice!”

But the Bully! Pulpit reported that that wasn’t the full story, or even fully accurate.

On her Facebook page, Sandra Crouch wrote, “It has been brought to my attention that several media outlets have been erroneously reporting that my brother, Andrae Crouch and me met our dear friend Michael Jackson several weeks prior to his death so he could accept Christ. This is incorrect and absolutely not true.

“We loved and respected Michael enormously and we’ve been friends with him for many, many years, and are deeply saddened by his sudden and tragic death.We recently met with Michael to discuss recording two songs with our choir for his newest recording project. Michael always had a respect and curiosity for spiritual things. During our meeting, not unlike many other creative/music meetings we’ve had with him the past, we sang together, prayed together and had a wonderful time. We are praying for Michael’s family and desire nothing less than God’s best for them.”

A spokesman for Andrae Crouch added that at the meeting, Jackson “asked for prayer concerning the anointing of the Holy Spirit . . . So Andrae and Sandra explained to him about the anointing and about Jesus.”

But did the legendary singer pray to receive Christ? The Crouch spokesman responded: “He did NOT reject Jesus or the prayer when (we) prayed, and gladly joined in prayer . . . There was NO actual ‘sinners prayer’ however, but they did talk and pray about Jesus and the anointing of the Holy Spirit.”

The Bully! Pulpit story also said that Jackson, forbidden as a child from celebrating Christmas because of his Jehovah’s Witness faith, still had Christmas decorations up in his home in June. . . . (continue reading)

Pop culture news blog reports that rumors that Michael Jackson accepted Christ may have been false. Jackson, who died of cardiac arrest last week at the age of 50, was rumored by some to have become a Christian just weeks before his death.

Gospel singer Andrae Crouch and his twin sister, singer and minister, Sandra, apparently visited Jackson recently at the pop star’s request, and they did pray together. But exactly what they prayed depends on whom you ask.

Last Friday, gospel duo Mary Mary blogged on their Facebook page that Jackson “prayed with Sandra and Andre and accepted Christ into his heart. Now he’s singing in the heavenly choir! Our hearts rejoice!”

But the Bully! Pulpit reported that that wasn’t the full story, or even fully accurate.

On her Facebook page, Sandra Crouch wrote, “It has been brought to my attention that several media outlets have been erroneously reporting that my brother, Andrae Crouch and me met our dear friend Michael Jackson several weeks prior to his death so he could accept Christ. This is incorrect and absolutely not true.

“We loved and respected Michael enormously and we’ve been friends with him for many, many years, and are deeply saddened by his sudden and tragic death.We recently met with Michael to discuss recording two songs with our choir for his newest recording project. Michael always had a respect and curiosity for spiritual things. During our meeting, not unlike many other creative/music meetings we’ve had with him the past, we sang together, prayed together and had a wonderful time. We are praying for Michael’s family and desire nothing less than God’s best for them.”

A spokesman for Andrae Crouch added that at the meeting, Jackson “asked for prayer concerning the anointing of the Holy Spirit . . . So Andrae and Sandra explained to him about the anointing and about Jesus.”

But did the legendary singer pray to receive Christ? The Crouch spokesman responded: “He did NOT reject Jesus or the prayer when (we) prayed, and gladly joined in prayer . . . There was NO actual ‘sinners prayer’ however, but they did talk and pray about Jesus and the anointing of the Holy Spirit.”

The Bully! Pulpit story also said that Jackson, forbidden as a child from celebrating Christmas because of his Jehovah’s Witness faith, still had Christmas decorations up in his home in June. . . . (continue reading)