Astaunch priest who does not fear criticizing what he believes are wrong policies of the government, recently called on the faithful to pray for Pres. Rodrigo Duterte in the face of the latter’s controversial pronouncements and the creation his own church, Iglesia ni Duterte.
Rev. Fr. Oscar Lorenzo, a resident priest in Tacloban’s Sto. Niño Parish, took a caring citizen’s stand saying, “My brothers and sisters, since he is our President, we want him to succeed, we want him to do what is best for the Philippines, if not for this problem in himself,” further calling on the people to pray for the members of Duterte’s cabinet, his alter ego, to advise him on what he should do.
This cleric took the altar lectern to express his dissent to the policies being espoused and introduced by Duterte such as divorce and marrying to a maximum of five as will be allowed in Duterte’s Iglesia, the desecration of the Holy Host, his maligning of the Holy Water, the killing of people without due process which debases the sanctity of life.
He said that PRRD should be cautious of what he says in public to the extent of telling the people to blame God for making him what his character is only because he cannot change anymore. Lorenzo likewise feared what Dr. Natividad Dayan established in the annulment of marriage case which the latter faced against his former wife Elizabeth Zimmerman that PRRD was allegedly suffering from anti-social narcistic personality disorder.
The doctor further alleged in her findings that PRRD’s sickness is characterized by gross indifference, insensitivity and self-centeredness, among other unwholesome personality traits. It should however be understood that these are the same traits alleged by most doctors on the personality of defendants in most cases for annulment of marriage. However, the media played up this psychiatric findings as a national problem.
Lorenzo’s apprehension on what the country’s future will be could be right at all. Since PRRD is not god, not even a semblance of the goodness of God, he has to be guided by the wisdom from the God of Christians, whom he adored when he was yet a Catholic. The good side of the President noted should however such as his issuances and the edicts he signed favorable to the lowly citizens of the country. Thus, PRRD is not at all a hopeless case. Conversely, he could be a great statesman the Philippines has ever produced.