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Cesar Gorillo .

I WAS about to sleep one night when I had the urge to browse the Internet through my Android phone and there on Youtube, I chanced on a handsome priest trying to dissect the errors of a big religion in the Philippines.  I could not contain my amusement at how he illuminated by facts of history, the true meanings of the Bible passages and research from the encyclopedia the impossibility of the claim of the founder of this church as the last angel sent by God from the East to prepare for Christ’s coming.

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I exclaimed at how this kind of priest was true and above par member of the Catholic Faith Defenders trying to defend the Church which Christ himself put up. He was different, he was very learned and he talked with the clarity which even a dirst grade pupil can understand. And he was not boring because he peppered his talk which was done in front of students of a Catholic school with lots of jokes. So, listeners not only learned so many things, but they were also amused.

He looked very young, he was handsome and he talked with authority that there was no doubt this man can do a lot in telling the millions of Catholics around the Philippines and in the world the beauty of their Church.

Of course, Vatican II has allowed the so-called mixture of different religions for those believing in Christ known as Ecumenism, but Catholics believe in their Church to be one, apostolic, universal and holy. One, because there is no other Catholic church recognized by Vatican, except the Roman Catholic Church.  Apostolic because it was founded through Apostle Peter. Universal because all masses from Vatican up to the smallest chapel have the same Bible readings, ceremonies, practices and beliefs; any church that does not follow even just one of these practices, beliefs or readings are not considered as a Catholic church. Holy, because all members strive to follow Christ to be entitled to a place in heaven.

While I was listening to him, glued every night on my Android phone, I learned a lot of things. And I was sorry for the members of the church he was trying to lecture who were lured and in fact he said that he was himself invited for a debate. For these invitations, he simply proposed that they rather lecture their opposing members in a church gathering and then allow these members to field questions for which the lecturer must answer. This way, he will avoid the prospect of a frontal debate where harsh words will be thrown and might result in bad feelings.

I then longed for him to come to my diocese; that I will invite him to allow some Catholics in my diocese to hear this wonderful preacher who talked like St. Paul, preaching to many who were led to errors by many false teachers who thrived during his time. Here was a man who could rescue many Catholics who have been led to many religions thriving in our area by many preachers whose source of members for their newly founded churches allegedly for missionary purposes are Catholics. Catholics nowadays, because they are too many, have been likened to bunches of tilapia slowly hooked by other preachers. Our present number of priests can no longer attend to them individually and our Catechists are so few, so ill-quipped, so ill-armed and so ill-financed and they can never face the armada of the preachers of other religions who are armed with Bible diplomas, talk well, well-financed, well-dressed, well-equipped and house their subjects in air-conditioned auditoriums as against Catholic catechists who house their young pupils in hot overcrowded classrooms or in dilapidated chapels.

But Fr. Richmond Nilo was different.  He could easily square off with the best that other religions can muster.

But he was killed by an assassin’s bullet.

I could never prevent tears from streaming down my eyes.

Goodbye, Fr. Nilo.  Hoping God will send in your replacement.

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