The Convicted President is Pardoned…

Today, Erap Estrada is pardoned by the present President Gloria Arroyo, after the former was convicted by the Sandiganbayan to a life imprisonment on account of his plundering the Philippine coffer. We note that PGMA had a hand in the ouster of Erap, when the daughter of Diosdado Macapagal was serving as vice president under Erap.
To me, the pardon is hastily done. Of course, the Palace claims it really passed through a long process already. Considered were Erap’s age, his resolve not to seek political posts again, and that Erap has already serve some seven years in prison.
But still the pardon seems to me a handiwork of a thief in the night. When no one expects it to happen, a thief breaks in and does his evil deed.
The reason for my entry today is my anxious reaction concerning the granting itself of pardon. My first presupposition is: PGMA is an alumna of a Catholic institution run by the religious sisters. She must have been taught about the Sacrament of Reconciliation, if not made her practise confession per se of her sins.
So, what’s the heck?
I, as a practising Catholic, who when I have an occasion would go regularly to confession, can see that the granting of pardon is never in accordance with the process of reconciliation as we know it from practise, if not from theory or its theology.
Of course, the process of reconciliation in the sacrament of penance is never a product of the whims and desires of the Roman Catholic hierarchy, or simply a non-sensical rite that is no different from make-believe rite of paid magicians or quack doctors (no pun intended for the magician-clowns and quack doctors). As I experience it, the process is very realistic and is grounded on life.
To be pardoned of our sins, the precondition is to own up to ourselves that we really and actually sinned. There must be a genuine feeling of remorse. Sorry, Lord, kasi nagkasala ako. Kung puwede lamang ulitin ang pagkakataon na iyon, hindi ko iyon gagawin…
Secondly, there is a need to confess that we really sinned. In the olden times, while there were already priests who were present to grant the absolution of priests, the first Christians publicly confessed their sins. I would like to underline the word PUBLICLY. Now, we do our confession inside the confessional box. At least it is the usual set up in our Churches. This is so after the number of Christians has increased, so that the priests had to resort to alternative measures.
Then, proceeding from this, the “sinner” does something to repair the damage caused by his sin. This is in accord to the principle of retribution. Pag may nasira ka, ayusin mo muna…
In this third process, there is still an ongoing debate as regards which precedes which: retribution, then absolution; or absolution, then retribution. In our confession process, we are given absolution prior to our retribution. But any priest would like to point out that the absolution is given because of that “priestly trust” that after the absolution there is going to be a genuine effort to do retribution. Some priests would even contend that absolution becomes more efficacious the moment a sinner does his retribution.
Now, back to my first presupposition: si PGMA, produkto ng Katolikong institusyon. Well, this is case of an alumna of Church’s educational institution forgetting her training – all in the name of political expediency…
Pity us…