WHO IS FR. PING MOLINA

Who Can Fill the shoes of aGood Fisherman

International, national and local issues about priests’ infidelity to their priestly vows rock the heart of many devout Catholics. This infidelity is not only confined to priests but also to the elders or bishops. The feet of a good fisherman must fit-in the shoes of master fisherman to correct the situation. But how about if the good fisherman is already dead? Is there another good fisherman who can fill-in the shoes of the dead good fisherman? I will not give my opinion because it is the work of the Holy Spirit, and surely He will not abandon his church. But I am tempted to give my humble opinion, none will be able to fill-in the shoes of the good dead fishermen. But I pray that one will fit in.

Whom shall I am referring? He is the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Jose B. Molina the Vicar General of the Diocese of Virac.

One way or another shaped my life although he was not my rector nor formator in the seminary, you can not but notice this good priest because of eloquent sermons that he delivered in pulpit. The words/ idea he profound was like hypnotic spell to the parishioners, because they are all listening. Yes this good fisherman has impressive scholastic records that will be the reason of a good sermon, but if the speaker forgot the true element of a good sermon all will be a noise to the listeners. This element can be unraveled in an anecdote that involve Saint Agustine of Hippo that the good saint said to deliver sermon but what he did was only to waived his hand to the crowd of the catholics without uttering a single word, the reactions are different some are crying, others are smiling and others are astonished by the charism of the Holy Saint. Words are dead if the priest will not live to what he is preaching. He live by the words He preaches, that is the secret of the good fisherman. That is the reason why he was loved by many priests, laymen, seminarians and ex-seminarians.

I was then in the seminary when this story happened, Yes maybe I was the only one who can still remember this. Cardinal Jose T Sanchez visited the Diocese of Virac, Bishop Sorra as the Bishop then of Virac gave him a welcome party as part of party the good cardinal will give a talk to the priests and seminarians. The consensus of the whole priest for him to use the local dialect but the cardinal forgot already the local tongue that he can not anymore speak the dialect of Pandan, He was compared to Archbishop Teopisto V Aberto the bishop maker who always give talk in Bagamanoc dialect, Mamo Ping shouted jokingly ibingan four times maybe Cardinal Sanchez was familiar to the word but forgot the meaning. It is a profane word but to us in the circle of seminarians at the time it is only a word used which lost the original meaning, rather it denotes that we are from Pandan, he faced at our directions and he asked us what is ibingan. Instead of facing the cadinal he hid himself beside the post of the octagon in Fiat, the way I saw him he was like a child who was scolded by his father, he never talked again. I kept it for a decade but now he is already dead, I come to analyze the situation. The first thing that come to my mind is that Mamo Ping recognized the authority of the good Cardinal although what he uttered for him is only a joke. He readily recognized that he was wrong. A virtue of a good bishop material, submission to the will of the church the mater magistra.

Last thing that I remember about him when he vigorously opposed the STL (small time lottery) franchised in Catanduanes. Here again he delivered a well prepared speech that showed the bad effect of gambling in every Catandunganon. There he has proven that the powerful Catholic Church is ready to defend morality. That Rt. Reverend Msgr. Jose B Molina will not stop protecting his church. All listened to him.

This man authored “Youth Encounter” the program which is being used in the entire Philippines for the formation of youth and the New Evangelization Pastorele which is being adopted in our Diocese. He founded also the “Marriage Encounter” in the Island of Catanduanes.

Who can therefore fill-in the shoes of a goodfisherman? Let us pray and hope that someday someone from the ranks will follow the footsteps of our beloved Mamo Ping Molina.

SOURCE: http://www.catanduanes.net/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=342