Vidal urges youth to shun frats, violence

AS the world prepares for the World Youth Day, Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal advised young people to shun fraternities, sororities and gangs.

The 82-year-old prelate said sororities, fraternities and gangs distort the idea of brotherhood.

“In reality, one does not belong to a sorority or a fraternity. He or she is their hostage, someone they can use in order to accomplish selfish agenda or attain selfish ends,” Vidal said.

Young people gather in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil from July 23 to 28, 2013 for the World Youth Day.

Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma is accompanying Cebu’s youth delegation to Brazil.

Vidal said one’s need to belong should be satisfied only through Jesus.

“The Christ-centered community has only Christ as its reason for coming together. It does not compete with other groups and never resorts to violence to attain its ends. It never glories in revenge or in harm that is meant for a fellow member, or for anybody else,” Vidal said.

Richard Buscayno, who served as Akrho national president from 2008 to 2010, said those who joined the fraternity wanted to be part of an organization.

“You can have instant friends if you join the fraternity. You have a friend wherever you go. In fraternities, you find true friends whom you can truly trust,” he said.

He said a fraternity is not just about violence. He said they are into several projects to promote community awareness and service: blood donation, feeding programs, mural painting, and donating school supplies to children.

But he admitted fraternities sometimes get into “trouble.”

He said the enmity between Alpha Kappa Rho and Tau Gamma Phi has been in existence for a long time.

However, he said the squabble between the two groups has been addressed through peace talks. /Ador Vincent S. Mayol, Reporter