CHURCH. Two candidates for the May 9 elections included a church visit in their itinerary to ask for a pray-over and blessing from a priest. Their local coordinator contacted a priest to do the prayer and blessing, of which the priest affirmatively acceded to.
REFUSES. But when the two candidates arrived at the convent to meet the priest and asked for the pray-over and blessing, as arranged, the priest refused to do so. The Ear learned that the priest denied the request due to the archbishop's timely advisory that priests who will get entangled with politics will be punished.
POLITICKING. However, another priest did not hesitate to give the blessing after a short pray-over. "When does the act of giving a blessing to the candidates become a form of politicking?" the coordinator asked.