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Illegally parked priest asks for his parishioners’ forgiveness

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By Raïssa Robles

Although he wouldn’t talk to me.

Last Tuesday, I wrote about Reverend Father Jose Eliseo Buenviaje who had illegally parked his car despite a “no parking” sign, while prominently displaying the sign “Priest on Call” on his windshield.

My reporter’s instinct told me it was the priest driving the car. A number of commenters criticized me for jumping to this conclusion; and for not talking to Fr. Buenviaje to get his side. I had tried to ring him through the numbers listed on the “priest on call” placard, but I got a wrong number or an unanswered ringing. In one instance, a person who answered told me Father Buenviaje could no longer be reached at that particular number.

Finally on Thursday, I managed to connect with “Mr. Jess”, the parish secretary of the Nuestra Senora de la Paz y Buen Viaje Parish at Old Balara, North Capitol Hills Drive. I asked him to convey to Fr. Buenviaje my request to talk to him.

I waited for the priest to get in touch with me before putting together an updated post using new information, including things Mr Jess told me. The parish office has no landline and the only way to talk to Fr. Buenviaje was through his mobile phone, which I didn’t have.

But I’ve decided not to wait any longer. Early this evening (Saturday) a commenter named Bobby Mendiola, who said he was a parishioner of Fr. Buenviaje, posted the following comment here:

I am a parishioner of Rev. Fr. Joel Buenviaje. I have known him since he became a Deacon and assigned by the beloved Roman Catholic Bishop of Novaliches, Antonio Tobias, to assist Fr. Tony Labiao, Jr., at St. Peter Parish, Commonwealth Ave., Q. C.

Fr. Joel Buenviaje is a newly ordained Priest, less than two (2) years ago, and by GOD’S grace, installed as the 1st Parish Priest of Nuestra Senora de la Paz y Buen Viaje last March 17, 2013, by the Most Rev. Antonio Tobias.

Fr. Joel shared with me last Tuesday his agony, anxiety, and discomfort caused by Raissa’s blog. These feelings of Fr. Joel festered for several days.

During today’s 6 PM Holy Mass at Celebrity Sports Plaza, Capitol Hills Drive, Q.C., Fr. Joel shared with us Parishioners the incident written by Raissa, and humbly asked for our forgiveness for the scandal it has created. Fr. Joel also related how and why he was at that spot along Katipunan Ave., and this was verified by the family who asked for Fr. Joel’s pastoral service and subsequently invited him for a late lunch.

I know what the life of Priests are, the joys and loneliness, the fulfillment and frustrations they experience daily, and most specially, the constant temptations they undergo. I know because I have eight (8) Priests classmates continuing their ministry. I also have classmates who left the priesthood.

Fr. Joel asked us Parishioners to pray for him so that he will be more judicious in his actions, so as to avoid situations as blogged by Raissa.

The congregation went to Fr. Joel after the Mass to console him and assured him of support.

I echo Fr. Joel’s request for prayers because he really wants to serve everyone in this life’s journey, to enable every person he encounters to secure passing marks in their respective “Heavenly Report Card”.

GOD Loves us!

If I caused Fr. Buenviaje anguish, I did not mean to. That was not my intention.

I have since learned that what Father could be faulted with is “illegal parking” – which is penalized with only P200.00 for the first, second and third offenses.

As for using the sign “Priest on Call” while parked illegally, he was using it maybe because priests are given the go-ahead by their elders to make use of the sign. I do not know whether Father Buenviaje knew he was parked illegally.

I could not talk to him since there was no landline in his parish office.

I managed to get in touch with the parish secretary Mr Jess and asked him where Fr. Buenviaje’s sign came from. He said – and please I hope he is not scolded for answering my questions – Mr Jess told me that the “Priest on Call” sign is used by priests in Novaliches who have cars.

He said there were around 64 parishes in Novaliches alone and those parish priests with cars are issued a similar sign.

Mr. Jess added:

“Hindi lang po sa Novaliches. Depende sa parish priest at sa diocese, kung  maglalagay sila noon.”

Mr. Jess also told me it was Fr. Buenviaje who was driving the car that Sunday. That the car was “on loan” to the priest by his own mother.

At the start, Mr Jess had asked me:

“Kayo po ba si Ms. Raissa?”

I said “yes”.

And Mr. Jess said that last Sunday when Fr Buenviaje’s car was illegally parked:

“I think galing siya sa house blessing and office blessing sa area na yon.”

I asked Mr. Jess what the “Priest on Call” sign meant. He said:

“Wala naman po. Isang paalala. Mga pare natin, hindi nag-stay sa kanilang parokya. Merong tumatawag.”

I asked Mr. Jess whether a priest could go out and give extreme unction to the dying. He said “yes” and added:

“Ang pari, karamihan sila (naimbita para) magpamisa ng patay. Nagpapadaan ng pare. Puwede siya magmisa at magbless.”

What Mr. Jess told me contrasted greatly with what the priests – whom my cousins and I had tried to get for my mother to give her extreme unction – told us. See my first story.

I also wanted to talk to the person in Fr. Buenviaje’s diocese who makes all those “Priest on Call” signs. But I was told he was on a team-building seminar and therefore unavailable.

I also phoned the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines but the person in charge was also out of town.

What’s wrong with a “priest on Call” sign?

Perhaps I did not explain very clearly why I wrote about seeing the sign, which at least one friend told me she had also seen and found nothing wrong with.

Let me explain the context.

The sign stated on the left side a request to whoever saw it – to extend “courtesy” to the car driver.

raissarobles.com

“Priest on Call” – PHOTO BY Raissa Robles

It is therefore asking for a privilege not extended to ordinary drivers.

Are priests entitled to this kind of privilege?

Many Catholics would readily say “yes”.

I guess I’m not one of them. Because to me, a priest is someone who has taken a vow to turn away from a life of privilege.

In 1983, the CBCP President, Archbishop Antonio Mabutas, issued “Pastoral Guidelines for Priests, Religious and Lay Workers in the Task of Social Justice“. One of the things that made the Church so close to Filipinos then was that it walked its talk.

Guideline Number Five stated:

5. Let us obey the laws of the land in so far as they are truly just and conducive to the attainment of peace in the community.  In  the  spirit  of Gaudium et Spes.  Let us not demand special privileges for ourselves.  On the contrary, we should  even be prepared to renounce any concession offered us for the sake of guaranteeing  our freedom of pastoral action.

To read the Guidelines, please click on this link.

This will be my last post on the issue. I still have to write on the elections and on Sabah.

UPDATE 11:17 AM, April 21, 2013: I wish the best for Fr. Joel  Buenviaje. He has chosen a hard life.

http://sociopastoral.wordpress.com/2011/09/23/fr-joel-buenviajes-ordination/

 

Comments

  1. I wish you knew how compassionate, generous, good and holy a priest Father Joel was before you wrote this story. Always good to know the two sides of a story before putting it out. I knew you tried to reach him but a day or two of wait would have spared him the pain this story had caused. We mourn his death. But his beautiful memory will always be a blessing.

  2. Everyone makes stupid decisions. Intentionally or unintentionally. The illegally parked car is the authorities’ responsibility. The “Priest on Call” caught your attention because of a good story you can make out of it. What you don’t understand on being a priest is that people look up to them for guidance. Your story did build a lot of interest but what you probably did not expect is taking a blow on his reputation which is part of his purpose. Would it actually matter if a simple office worker parked there illegally? Of course not right, because that is not a very interesting story. You caused this person a lot of pain and it significantly contributed to his heart disease. It’s probably a good story for you to write that he died yesterday of a heart attack.

    • I did not know that. But you can see, my story is dated two years ago.

      May his soul rest in peace.

      It was a story at that time because priests are supposed to set a good example to their flock. I’m certain he has regretted pulling rank.

  3. I came across this blog when I’m searching for Fr. Joel’s caused of death. It’s just so sad that our society will write all about one’s wrong doings and not the one’s life lived to serve. RIP

  4. China under ‘new leadership’ to dismantle a system of privilege – BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s new leadership is seeking to dismantle a system of privilege which has allowed the drivers of military vehicles to do as they please on the roads.” The link – http://news.yahoo.com/chinese-military-cracks-down-license-plates-corruption-235045081.html.

    Nothing so far about ‘illegal parking.” But I guess that will be surely included. I never thought China’s officials and generals were riding on ” A number of high-end auto brands will be banned from receiving the new military license plates, including sedans from Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Jaguar, Porsche, Ford’s Lincoln, General Motors’ Cadillac, Volkswagen-owned Bentley and the Volkswagen Phaeton, Xinhua said.”

    Also Audi A7 SUVs with Porsche cayennes, Range Rover and Lexus SUVs. Do our officials have this privilege here? I have not heard yet. But, yes, the corruptions on stealing our money can buy these luxury vehicles.

    Privilege eh! I like China’s new president.. I hope he ‘reverses’ course on islands-luxury claims in our Panatag Shoals…an abuse of de facto privilege-claiming our islands.

  6. @ Leona @ mel

    Sorry, not able to respond quckly coz I visited a family in London for a a sort of house blessings. LOL about the inclusion of partner. Thanks for sharing your amazing prayers to St Joseph helping you to sell your lots. I will pray to him as well as you did. At pag may extra bonus na parner to be, let us see what will happen. Pag very good news, I will let you know. Many thanks again.

    • Humor must be genetic. There must be a fat humor gene and some people don’t get it, but it can be developed.

      They say people with great sense of humor are most intelligent. Look at Allan, Leona and now Baycas.

  7. Breaking news…

    PHILIPPINES (Royters) – Reacting to the findings of the Asian Research Institutes for Understanding Humor and Silly Walks (ARIUHSW) a number of primary schools in the Islands of the Philippines collaborates in an effort to stem the problem of the lack of Satire Gene (SG) among Filipinos.

    Researchers from the schools’ Science Department headed by Prof. Bay-ag Tatlonghari (a native Kapampangan with a silent “h”), particularly the Section on Molecular and Cellular Biology, were able to identify a micro-particle that when present in an individual will develop a Satire Gene inside the body that will stimulate the “fun” center of the brain.

    This will eventually create a mind able to possess a sense of humor to the fullest and thus becomes a mind susceptible to the feeling of fun.

    The novel introduction of the micro-particle to young individuals is an offshoot of the trials done on pet dogs and cats recently. The animals did not die laughing; nonetheless, they had fun when they were presented with a picture of the unqualified senatorial candidate endorsed by the Vice-President as a last-minute fill-in for a vacated senatoriable slot.

    The Bioethics Committee of each school gave the go-ahead signal for trials in the randomly selected elementary-school-aged children of the collaborating primary schools. Three from each school, the children will undergo daily single oral “vaccination” of what is dubbed “STEM-in-a-Cell Treatment” for three days.

    Parents are reassured that no harm will befall the lucky children who will be picked for the simple procedure. Still, the parents will sign a waiver. Surveys conducted in the campus revealed that all parents were eager to let their children undergo the fun-enhancing “vaccination” because the recent spike of depression in school-aged individuals scared them stiff.

    “STEM” stands for Saya-and-Tawa–Enhancing Molecule and this, the elementary schools’ scientists carefully emphasized, must be differentiated and must not be confused with the stem cell treatment now making promise as an anti-aging or anti-autism “therapeutic” technology. STEM enhances the “fun” center in the human brain.

    The local scientists/researchers are confident that this STEM-in-a-Cell Treatment will prove to be a success in 2-3 years time. Legislation to have this procedure mandatory to young Filipinos is expected because by the time the unqualified senatorial candidate is still a sitting senator of the Philippines the full success of the treatment will already be a reality. The researchers, who, incidentally, are with the Egham (scientific Enhancers) Party List, will ensure that the law on STEM-in-a-Cell Treatment will be passed by the year 2016.

    The participating schools from all over the Philippines are: (1) Inuman Elementary School, Antipolo City; (2) Tinitian Elementary School, Palawan; (3) Suso Elementary School, Ilocos Sur; (4) Cantutang Primary School, Southern Leyte; and (5) Mababoy Elementary School, Masbate.

    Soon, the Kilikili Elementary School in Lanao del Sur and Dila Elementary School in Laguna will join the “fun”. “Truly, it’s more funny in the Philippines”, Prof. Tatlong-ari boasted.

    Related article:

    http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/blogs/insights/04/26/13/many-filipinos-dont-have-satire-gene

  8. @mam leona, magandang umaga po. talaga naman pong nawawala ang problema at pagod ko pagka nakatapos kong magtrabaho at nagbukas na ako ng blog ni raissa ang mga comments mo ang isa sa palagi kong hinahanap. salamat sa pagaaliw na may aral sa iyong mga kommento. sana bigyan ka pa ng maraming kuwento ni st joseph.

    • @mam pinay710…malaking salamat kay Ma’m Raissa, nan dito tayo!

      Kay St. Joseph…TULUNG NIYA YUN! Na isip ko lang MAG DASAL noon sa Kanya. .

      PRAYER is so powerful as God responds.

      It is now the challenge to our good candidates. Let us hope those elected will DO MAKE GOOD FOR US ALL. Have a nice day Pinay710!

  9. …back to topic of cybrspace…as OFF TOPIC – who is “S.K.”? Sven Olaf Kamphuis – Prince of Spam…who can ‘DDos’…Distributed Denial of operating System; he makes or do ‘a conduit of vast amounts of SPAM; and also exploited D.N.S. – Domain Name System.

    From NY Times – http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/27/technology/dutch-man-said-to-be-arrested-in-powerful-internet-attack.html?hp

    He was arrested by Spanish police lately thru request of Dutch authorities.