Cory as Saint, Time Fast Reverse

I’ve been to my Dashboard and I noticed that the article I put up for my personal tribute to the late, former President Corazon C Aquino, has topped mine  others in number of views made in a single day. Titled Hero of time, Preserving the Naked Legacies, it was published in my page section. Why in the page section is because I was then be able to set it at front page, all alone by itself. It stayed there as such for 10 days, which is more than the 9 day mourning period, customary and traditional of Filipinos.  Normally, my Home page is made up of five posts starting from the latest. They slide away, articles and links, as posts keep adding. In the Page section, article may no longer be in the spotlight but the link remains, always seen, unless the article itself is deleted.

I think the number of views is also due to interactions I made elsewhere that linked back to my site. One of them is in an article about making Ms Corazon C Aquino as a saint by the Church. I can’t help it but I came to the extent of saying that the Roman Catholic priest that favored the idea of sainthood is either drunk or is mixed up in politics and piousness. I see, the authors of the publication cannot publicize my comment. [I'm not handsome, so why?]

That former President Aquino is a hero of the Filipino people is no question about it. I agree she topped all presidents, from Emilio Aguinaldo up to the present, when it comes to respect. In her case I prefer the word “respect” instead of “popularity”. As we have seen, even the Marcoses and the Estradas that she was instrumental in overthrowing, were there at the wake. Meaning, everybody went there to pay last homage and respect that no doubt she deserved. [Benigno Ninoy Aquino surpassed all in number of mourners, actually.] Numbers  showed that Cory is most respected of all Filipino Presidents. But the matter is politics.

Vox populi vox Dei, as a general rule, must be true. But popularity as the basis for sainthood is out of place. Because popularity and righteousness are NOT ALWAYS one and the same. Jesus Christus was nailed to the cross because Pontius Pilatus, the Politician, decided in favor of an overwhelming crowd. If it was Pontius Pilatus, the Just, who had stood up then the crowd would have been told to go home, and the man seen no wrong would have been set free. Knowing very well the situation and knowing very well what he has done, Pontius washed his hands. He must have wished he had nothing of stinking political matter in his hands.

Justice cannot see and does not see a handful of individuals in one hand and Sodom and Gomorrah in the other hand. It sees only what is right and what is wrong. Numbers, and who are there-in, are incidental.

I, for one, frown Corazon C Aquino for sainthood.  Some people have used the word selfless to describe her. I have preferred to use  “unselfish” to describe her instead.]

If we put selfishness at Zero [0] and selflessness at One hundred [100], Mother Theresa may not be a perfect 100% but she happened to be my personal idea of one most selfless. Lorenzo Ruiz, a nobody until canonized by the Church, I think also earned it. If Ruiz thought of self and told the Japanese persecutors what the emperor would have loved to hear, then Lorenzo Ruiz would have spared himself of torture and cruel death. For the Faithful, I think he was lucky to have a chance at proving his selflessness for his faith.

I’m not talking about who is right and who is wrong in this here, and why people are killing each other, but I just can’t imagine blood spilled in Mendiola Bridge and Hacienda Luisita with Mother Theresa as President of the Republic of the Philippines and as owner of a Hacienda.

Tributes and respect deserving one Filipino great, yes. To kneel to as a Saint… for all mankind…umm…oh…well, folks?