Msgr. Cris Garcia's case: An ugly coincidence

  Like wildfire, the case involving Msgr. Cristobal Garcia has been blown out into the open and now it has been revealed that Msgr. Garcia has been quietly removed from his office since June 2012. Actually, the members of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos (BLD) knew of this when Msgr. Garcia was replaced by Fr. Ramon Ofredo. However no word was said as to why he was replaced. But as revealed in the presscon last Wednesday, it was due to the sex incident involving him in California in the early 80s.

 If you didn’t know, the Manila Bulletin even had an article about that incident way back in 1982! But, now it should be said that the Vatican quietly pursued that case (which is just like our justice system that takes decades to resolve), which now lead to his being replaced as the Chairman on the Commission on Worship.

 What I would like to clearly emphasize here is that, this case with Msgr. Cris has nothing… and I mean nothing to do with the recent article from National Geographic wherein the author pointed to him as the end user of ivory taken from slaughtered elephants. Call it an ugly coincidence, but this is the bottom line and the whole truth.

 We should admire the Cebu Archdiocese now under his Excellency Archbishop Jose Palma for immediately conducting a presscon on this issue, especially citing the reasons why Msgr. Garcia has been replaced since June this year. It is indeed a new era where the Catholic Church responds quickly to issues that involves the members of the clergy. Such issues should be dealt with and answered unlike in the past, where it is hidden under the rug.

 Clearly, this new approach under Arch. Palma is based on scripture. We read from Luke 12:3 “Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.” But regarding the National Geographic article, again, let me reiterate that this issue is not related to the Vatican order against Msgr. Garcia.

 But it would be a very welcome move for the Cebu Archdiocese to begin an inventory of all its religious icons that are made of ivory. Let me point out once again that the Catholic Church respects God’s creation and abides by the 1989 decree making the trading of ivory illegal. Arch. Palmas’ letter supporting the return of that elephant at the Manila Zoo is proof of this.

 But this doesn’t mean that their decades, if not centuries old icons made of ivory should be confiscated, simply because of the “Grandfather clause” where one can keep something that maybe illegal today, but was legal when it was acquired. This makes a huge difference and I’m sure the inventory of the Catholic Church would reveal that almost all of their religious icons were acquired long before the ivory trade was declared illegal.

 Incidentally, fellow Cebuano and self-made environmentalist Atty. Antonio Oposa called me yesterday to react to the column that I wrote in the Philippine Star… that his group was seeking legal action against those involved in the ivory smuggling. Atty. Oposa clearly pointed out that he was not after those religious artifacts, which were already there long before the worldwide protection of elephants was embodied in the 1989 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Treaty; nor is he trying to pin down the Catholic Church.

 What Atty. Oposa was really after are those mysterious individuals who are part and parcel of the ivory trade, which, as insinuated by the National Geographic magazine, involved Msgr. Garcia. But the magazine could not directly link him to the smuggling of elephant tusks. Atty. Oposa told me that there was a shipment of elephant tusks that was confiscated by the Bureau of Customs (BoC) but he learned that this shipment disappeared while in the Customs’ custody. Why isn’t this case being investigated? He told me that he would get into the bottom of this. So thank you Atty. Oposa. for at least his group is not against the Catholic Church.

 There are a lot of texts being sent to me that the National Geographic article is part of the ploy to discredit the Catholic Church. Here’s a text from a friend who wishes to remain unnamed, “Important forces behind the ivory scandal. 1. International Animal Rights activists who love monkeys more than human babies. 2. The World Wildlife Fund or WWF behind the earth hour and Global Warming propaganda, which pushes full population control to save all animals. 3. Catholics for Free Choice (CFFC), the biggest anti-Catholic, pro abortion and anti-clergy group based in the USA and the group that runs after priests involved in scandals worldwide and of course our anti-Catholic media here at home.” Again, allow me to reiterate my call, if the ivory trade in the Philippine is small compared to China, why is National Geographic making such a big fuss about us and not China? There is a hidden agenda here.

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