Fake priests, know how to spot them

They are your usual fare during the All Saints' and All Souls Day fests.

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MANILA, Philippines – A cemetery official warned the public against fake priests roaming around cemeteries and offering services in exchange for money during the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.  [Just seeing these "priests" roaming around, hawkin their services is already enough to sound the alarm bells in you, eh?]

Manila North Cemetery officer-in-charge Edgardo Noriega said he received reports of fake priests roaming around cemeteries offering prayers for the dead and blessing tombs for a fee.  [Hey Filipino Freethinkers!  Here's your blast from the past!]

Noriega said legitimate priests do not turn their services into a commercial act. He added the local parish of San Roque already informed him that it will be dispatching priests in the city to officiate Holy Masses for the souls of the departed. [The parish church in Blumentritt has jurisdiction over the Manila North Cemetery.]

He also advised the public to check for the priest's identification card in order to avoid fake ones.  [Better ask for his celebret.  If he does not know what a celebret is, then shoo him away or call the police.  But...but...some priests of today, those who are modernists from MST and SVST do not even know what a celebret is!  Ha!]

“Dapat tingnan nila. Kasi yung mga talagang seminarista, [Seminarian?!  What the?  I thought we are talking about priests here?] naka sabit yung mga identification cards nila saka yung mga crucifix nila sa leeg nila. Iyun talaga ang mga authorized na galing sa simbahan ng San Roque,” he said in an interview on dzMM.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), meanwhile, explained that families who pray for their departed loved ones can gain plenary indulgence.

The CBCP explained that “plenary indulgence, according to Canon Law, is the remission of sins of one whose offenses have already been forgiven. But to gain the plenary indulgence must fulfill certain requirements, including going to confession and praying for the intention of the pope.”  [not just by doing the rituals, ok?]

It also appealed to the public to observe the solemnity of the Catholic tradition by not doing unnecessary activities inside the cemetery.

Fr. Leo Gilbero, La Loma Cemetery Chaplain, noted that Filipino families have made the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day an opportunity to hold a reunion and eat together.

“We should also set boundaries to keep with our faith, like for example the bringing of food [and partaking of meals] in the cemeteries. What is that for?” Gilbero told CBCP News.

“Maybe it is due to the culture and the influence of other cultures," he added.

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Or maybe the Church has been lax the past years in reminding the faithful of what feasts are all about, like All Saints' and All Souls' Day.

Bring back the Sense of the Sacred, dear Fathers...

PLEEEEEEAAAASSSSEEEE!

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On another note, these hawkers who roam around cemeteries "blessing tombs" and "praying for the dead" are not Roman Catholic priests.  They belong to the church of Ingkong, aka The Catholic Apostolic Church.

They are a cult and they are NOT ROMAN CATHOLIC, hear that "Fr." Bunag?

So, beware, just call the police ok?  Tell your relatives about this.

Roman Catholic priests are so busy with so many things in their own ministries the last thing they could think of is roam cemeteries and ask people if they want to bless their dead.  Some of these con-artists even have this scheme of saying that they are conducting a fund raiser for a new church.

Just say no!  This is not allowed in the Church.

Ok, clear?