“If the President arrives at mass, I will not give him communion,” are the words of Catholic priest Sixto Varela, who over the weekend questioned President Carlos Alvarado after the latter participated in the solemn celebration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The parish priest of San Joaquin de Flores (Heredia) assures that many people have been struck by the fact that Alvarado goes to mass, receives communion and then has contrary positions “to which a Catholic should have.”
“If I am in favor of abortion, of euthanasia – I do not say that he has expressed that – but it seems that is his leaning … Then – please – abstain from communion. The matter is so strong that if, for example, one day he arrives at mass in Saint Joaquin, I will not give him communion, because there are documents from the Church that tell us that a politician who is in favor of abortion should be denied communion,” said Varela.
On June 8, as a faithful and without a formal invitation, President Carlos Alvarado Quesada joined the celebrations of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The president was accompanied by the first lady Claudia Dobles, Legislator Víctor Morales and the minister of the Presidency Rodolfo Piza and his, Annie Loría.
At the end of the Eucharist, Monsignor, José Rafael Quirós consecrated the Republic of Costa Rica to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
However, Varela expressed in his personal Facebook account that it was nothing more than a “political show of these disguised atheists. Sorry, Sir, sorry. If this Sir is Catholic, let him act as a Catholic. Enough of using the Church to reassure the masses,” said the priest.
The priest explained that he does not understand why Alvarado attends these activities and has his picture taken but in his speech of May 8 (Inauguration Day) he never mentioned God once. Varela points out that he (the President) did not mention the Virgin of the Angels either, although she played a clear role in the second round of elections.
“The President seems embarrassed to mention God. Nowhere does God appear (in his words). This is the strange thing. It is a concern of many people, who asks this gentleman what he is. ”
“The president – on the one hand – seems Catholic and on the other, he does the opposite. He’s playing. He is showing us a hypocritical image of looking to the Church in some places and in another, he does not want anything to do with it,” explained Varela.
The priest said that the people have the right to know the beliefs of their rulers and used the example of Edgar Mora, the Minister of Education.
“The Minister openly said that he is not a believer, so we already know. It is fair that the people know who their rulers are and their beliefs,” he said.
For its part, the Episcopal Conference rebuked the priest, explaining that it invited the President as is customary to the ceremonial act on Sunday. José Rafael Quirós, archbishop of San José, said he “deeply regrets” Varela’s interpretation of Sunday’s event.
At Casa Presidencial (Government House), the Presidency admitted on Tuesday, through the Minister of Communication, Juan Carlos Mendoza, that the criticism of the priest Sixto Varela against President Carlos Alvarado “caught the attention” of the government.
“The faith of the people is a very delicate field”, Mendoza said at a press conference after the weekly meeting of ministers.
Source (in Spanish): Crhoy.com
