Embattled Olongapo priest seeks Rome intervention

OLONGAPO CITY—A Catholic priest, who is being ousted by his fellow priests, is seeking the intervention of high-ranking Church officials in Rome to resolve rising tension in his parish.

Priests of the Diocese of Iba in Zambales province have been pressing Fr. Rodelio San Juan of the Immaculate Concepcion Church in Barangay Barretto here to leave his parish.

San Juan was suspended in 2013 by former Zambales Bishop Florentino Lavarias for not reinstating a Church employee, who is now facing theft charges in court.

On Tuesday, priests, nuns and parishioners demanded that San Juan should step down to avoid being removed from priesthood. They tried to enter the parish but they left 20 minutes later when they were informed that San Juan was not at the premises.

Around 40 priests, led by Iba Diocesan administrator Fr. Daniel Presto, also circulated a letter on Tuesday, urging San Juan to vacate his parish and stop his ministerial activities.

“We pray that Father Rodelio would show humility and follow the policies of Rome,” the priests said in their letter.

San Juan denounced the actions of his fellow priests as “scandalous” efforts to ignite tension in the Church community. “I am condemning it because it’s unethical and unprofessional … I will write to Rome about what happened,” San Juan told the Inquirer on Thursday.

He said the presence of the priests and their supporters outside his parish on Tuesday only provoked his parish workers. “They (other priests) wanted me to step down but why will I do that? Yes, I disobeyed the bishop but the question is why did I defy his order?” he said.

San Juan’s suspension stemmed from his dismissal of the parish’s secretary, Siena Silvederio, in 2013 on theft allegations.

Silvederio is facing charges of qualified theft at a regional trial court here for allegedly stealing financial logbooks and computer files. The case was filed by San Juan in 2013.

Lavarias wrote San Juan on Oct. 28, 2013, asking the priest to reinstate Silvederio to her position or face suspension for failure to comply.

“Why would I comply with an order from my superior if it would only cause damage to the parish?” San Juan asked. He said he was open to a peaceful dialogue with Church representatives to address the issue.

“If they want to talk to me then they should not resort to aggressive actions like what they did on Tuesday,” he added. Allan Macatuno, Inquirer Central Luzon