Bishop reminds Catholic flock to shun fortune-tellers

MANILA, Philippines—Amid the many predictions offered by fortune-tellers and psychics at the beginning of the New Year, a Catholic bishop on Monday reminded the faithful not to believe in such forecasts but only in “Divine Providence.”

This year may be the Year of the Water Dragon under the Chinese calendar but Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said over the Church-run Radio Veritas that “2012 is the Year of the Lord.”

“God is more powerful than any of those involved animals even if they are dragons, sharks or whatever,” said Lagdameo, also a former president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

The archbishop added that it was understandable why Filipinos pay attention to these predictions—a tradition, which he said, was inherited from Chinese ancestors.

But he stressed that Filipinos must give extra focus on their faith to God which, he noted, was already waning due to the spreading secularism in society.

“I think it’s a Chinese custom to put several years under some kind of protection of some animals, that’s why they say for this year, it’s the Year of the Dragon but to us Catholics, it’s the year of the Lord,” said Lagdameo.

“Our Catholic faith behooves us to entrust our life to God,” he added.