Encounter with Fr. Damaso

June 27, 2011

The Editor
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Dear Sir:

Encounter with Fr. Damaso

Fr. Damaso is alive and well and celebrated mass masquerading as Fr. Eric Fontanare at San Gabriel church at Marist School in Marikina last Sunday, June 26, 2011..

My husband and I were wearing “Catholics” for RH” Tshirts.

Fr. Eric/Damaso began his homily by saying he had to express his anger at how this couple, (Mr. Villa and me) were disobeying the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) by wearing such pro-RH Tshirts in church. “You could wear them outside the church! he said.

Of course the reason we wore the Tshirts in church is to inform fellow Catholics that indeed, there are Catholics who do support the RH Bill.

I answered him in my loud UP Professor's voice. “Father, to each his own beliefs”.

Come Communion time, he pointed at us again & said, “you two, do not receive communion from me, only from the lay ministers”.

I answered again, “Tapos na ang Spanish times, Father. Demokrasya na tayo ngayon”.

To our surprise, after the mass, many people in the church approached us to shake our hands, assure us that they too were for the RH Bill. They also expressed their sympathy about how we were singled out for scolding by Fr. Eric.

We respect the Church's prerogative to express their beliefs on the issue. However Fr. Fontanare's pouncing on us in an attempt at public humiliation using the pulpit is not part of that prerogative. He could have requested us to stay after mass to discuss the offending and “blasphemous” Tshirts.

They will never win adherents to their cause by attacking those who disagree with them.


Yours sincerely,


Victoria Jardiolin-Villa
8 Rainbow St., Marikina City
vickijvilla@yahoo.com