1. Childhood

The Archdiocese of Tuguegarao is my home diocese. As a diocese it was carved from the diocese of Nueva Segovia in 1910 and elevated into an Archdiocese in September 1974. The suffragan diocese are:

• diocese of Ilagan

• diocese of Bayombong

• prelature of Batanes-Babuyanes

    In 1998 their populations were:

1. Cagayan:  995,572

2. Isabela:  1,189,739

3. Batanes-Babuyanes:  23,998

4. Nueva Vizcaya:  446,084

My father studied law and served as justice of the peace of our little town.   Every night my father led the family in reciting the holy rosary and accompanied his family to Sunday Mass. My mother on the other hand, enticed the pagan Igorots and Kalingas of the Cordillera Mountains to barter their forest products like rattan and forest root crops.  In exchange, my mother give them laundry soap, matches, small knives, and second-hand clothes. She regularly laundered the dirty linens of the parish church. In summer she invited the Kalingas and Igorots to come to our house so that she could teach them the catechism. My mother passed away while giving birth to her seventh child in 1926. Aunt Lorenza, her sister, took care of us in our growing years. The family roots can be traced to the small town of San Vicente, Ilocos Sur, located along the coast of the China Sea of the Cordilleras. They moved to Cagayan due to political disturbances caused by the Philippine Revolution at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century (1898-1909).

In 1934, the bishop of the diocese of Tuguegarao was the Most Rev. Constance Jurgens, CICM, DD, a Dutchman known for his holiness of life, his apostolic zeal and Christlike charity to the poor. Having finished my elementary grades in Santo Nino Central School in 1933, my father brought me to Tuguegarao to study at the Cagayan High School because, in those days, Santo Nino did not have a high school much less a Catholic secondary institution.

2. Vocation

An arrangement was made for me to stay in the dormitory of the boys living under the care of the bishop; Fr. Oscar Deltor CICM was the prefect of discipline. At the end of the school year Bishop Jurgens told me that he was going to send me to Christ The King Mission Seminary in New Manila, Quezon City. That was in 1935. When I graduated from the classical secondary in Christ the King Mission Seminary, I went on to college. At the end of the academic year in March 1940, the Very Rev. Herman Konding, SVD, Rector, informed me about the death of my father. I went home but he was already buried when I reached Santo Nino.

In 1942, World War II broke out. Being a Dutchman, Bishop Jurgens was rounded up with all the foreigners who were enemies of Japan. Japanese Armed Forces sent them to the concentration camp in Los Banos, Laguna. American Missionaries in Christ the King Mission Seminary joined their fellowmen Americans either in the University of Santo Tomas Concentration Camp in Manila or in Los Banos.

Christ the King Mission Seminary was built along E. Rodriguez Avenue, a road through one of the suburbs of Manila. The predictions, then, were that a division of the American Liberation Forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur was going to enter Manila along E. Rodriguez Avenue. Considering the imminent danger of a bloody encounter between Japanese Armed forces defending Manila and the invading American army, the novices were evacuated and sent to the Immaculate Conception Theology Seminary in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. Rev. Fr. Ignatz Hetteger, SVD, was the novice master but a young priest, Rev. Fr. Alois Lehberger, SVD, was going to lead the trip which was made hazardous by the Kempetai of the Japanese Armed Forces.

During the war, Cagayan was one of those territories occupied by the Japanese Armed Forces. The Japanese soldiers frequently raided the towns and barrios. Because of the unpredictable raids, life was miserable and unstable. Food like rice and domestic animals and vegetables were looted. They raped women and killed the men-folk suspected of being guerrillas. One of the victims was my brother, Manuel, who was a seminarian at the Immaculate Conception Seminary in Vigan.

In one of the raids the soldiers caught Manuel. They then towed him with some innocent people to Faire, Dungao Ferry twelve kilometers away. At the ferry, they burned houses and while one of big houses was on fire, the cruel Japanese shot Manuel to death. When their victim was dying, his torturers threw him into one of the burning houses. After the burning was over, those barbarians collected his ashes and hurled them into the flowing waters of the Rio Grande.

In Vigan Theology Seminary —the novices of the Divine Word Missionaries made their perpetual Vvows before Rev. Fr. Herman Konding, SVD, the rector. Although I was accepted in the balloting for the perpetual vows, I decided not to make them. My membership of the Society of the Divine Word Missionaries (Societas Verbo Divini) had ended. This was in March 1945.

3. Ordination

The decision to leave the Society of the Divine Word necessitated that I see Bishop Jurgens of Tuguegarao, Cagayan. I applied for the diocese of Tuguegarao and the bishop accepted me. My next move was to make arrangements with the Father Rector of the Immaculate Conception Theology Seminary of Vigan, Ilocos Sur, so that I could continue my theological studies. My remaining theological studies lasted for two years. I finished my studies in March 1947. When Very Rev. Fr. Rector Herman Konding, SVD, announced the graduating class, I was included in the following list of graduates:

The ordaining prelate was the Most Rev. Mariano Madriaga, DD., archbishop of Lingayen, Dagupan. The ordination ceremony took place in St. Paul’s Cathedral of Vigan, Ilocos Sur on March 22, 1947. When I was ordained, there were no member of my family present. My only living sister, Teresa, could not attend it due to communication problem. Cagayan was so destroyed and was not yet rehabilitated. The following day the newly ordained priests said their Tridentine Latin Mass either in St. Paul’s Cathedral or in the seminary chapel. Our relatives, benefactors and friends filled the big St. Paul’s Cathedral both in the ordination and in the Mass of thanksgiving said by the newly ordained priests.

In the week following our ordination, we went to our home dioceses for the Canta Missa [sung Mass] which were Masses of thanksgiving offered to God for the gift of our priesthood, and to thank relatives, benefactors, and friends for helping us in our studies. In the sermons the celebrants usually thanked their families, relatives, benefactors, and friends for the help they had contributed so that they could reach the altar of God. When they addressed to the congregations, they usually asked for their continued support for the success of their ministry, for their perseverance to the end of their lives so that they would never betray their greatest friend and benefactor, Jesus Christ.

4. First Years of Priesthood

After the Canta Missa, the new priests were given a few weeks of vacation so that they could visit their relatives, benefactors, and friends. In my case, I had to go back to Bishop Jurgens to present myself in order to start my pastoral ministry. Bishop Jurgens gave me my first assignment. He sent me to be the assistant of Msgr. Felix Domingo, the Vicar General, parish priest of St. Peter’s Cathedral. In my visit, I saw that Bishop Jurgens, my benefactor, was sick and his tuberculosis was worsening. He came out of the concentration camp of the Japanese Armed Forces alive but a very sick man. On May 13, 1950, he went home to God. Priest and faithful were saddened at his death, as he was a holy man who showed apostolic zeal. He was loved by all his flock especially the poor. My second parish was San Jose, Baggao, Cagayan. San Jose and the surrounding barrios were densely populated. So I thought of founding a secondary high school. The institution was San Jose Academy.

In May 1950, Bishop Alejandro Olalia, then the co-adjutor, took over the government of Tuguegarao diocese. As soon as Bishop Olalia was installed, one of the first moves was the transfer of the minor seminarians from Vigan minor seminary to Tuguegarao, the seat of the diocese. The minor seminary was called after the old Colegio de San Jacinto de Tuguegarao —San Jacinto Minor Seminary which was run by the Dominican Fathers. Dominicans closed the old Colegio de San Jacinto de Tuguegarao for financial reasons. When the minor seminarians arrived from Vigan, there was no building ready and so they were temporarily housed at the bishop’s residence. The faculty for the first operation were:

• Rector: Rev. Fr. Telesforo Cordova

• Prefect of Discipline: Rev. Fr. Salvador Lazo

• Dean of Studies: Rev. Fr.S alvador Lazo

• Procurator: Rev. Fr. Juan Quinto

• Music Instructor: Rev. Father Jose Ingaran

• English/Public Speaking Instructor: Rev. Fr. Domingo Mallo

5. Rector of Seminary

At the end of the commencement exercises in 1951, a revamp was announced. Bishop Olalia finally made his decision on who were to take care of the administration. In June 1951, the assignments for coming school year were published. Fr. Cordova became the parish priest of a big parish in the diocese. Also the other priests in the faculty were given different parishes. As the academic year in 1951 began, I was designated as the rector of the San Jacinto Minor Seminary. I objected to it but the appointing authority would have none of it.

In 1954, in his fourth year as the prelate of the diocese of Tuguegarao, Bishop Olalia was promoted to the See of the Archdiocese of Lipa. As a result, a new bishop came to the diocese as administrator. This was Bishop Juan C. Sison of Nueva Segovia. As administrator of Tuguegarao Diocese, he did not make major changes. He confirmed me in my new responsibility as rector of the San Jacinto Minor Seminary, when I presented to him my resignation. He said: "Stay there until I get someone to take over your office".

Early in 1957, a new bishop was preconized. The new bishop-elect was a parish priest of Piat, Cagayan, whose patron saint is St. Dominic de Guzman. Piat though is more known as the sanctuary of Our Lady of Visitation. The bishop-elect was the Most Rev. Teodulfo S. Domingo.

Following the installation ceremonies, I went to him to tender my resignation as rector of the San Jacinto Minor Seminary. He did not accept it. Instead he confirmed it. There was no alternative, so I tried to be resigned to my responsibility. I faced the problems best as I could. In every diocese there has to be a seminary, and the seminary needs priests to run it. Therefore, I reflected on the policies and the regulations to direct the institution.

In 1962, Pope John XXIII announced the Second Vatican Council. Bishop Domingo, my bishop went to Rome as a delegate. On coming home for the first time from Vatican II Council, we expected some bulletins, newsletters, or flyers to update us on what was happening in the Council. But there was none. I wondered why information on the Council were not disseminated. At least nothing reached the diocese of Tuguegarao. In 1965, the Second Vatican Council came to an end. The delegates came home and there was nothing for the clergy and people in Tuguegarao diocese in the way of information.

6. Parish Priest

In 1967, Rev. Fr. Miguel Purugganan finished his studies in the Gregorian University in Rome. Bishop Domingo removed me from the office of rector. Upon his arrival Fr. Purugganan took over the responsibility of the San Jacinto Minor Seminary. Bishop Domingo assigned me as parish priest of Lal-lo Cagayan. In 1967 the Lal-lo High School was crowded with students. This made me conceive the idea of a secondary school. After studying the project, I decided to submit my application to the Department of Education for the Lyceum of Lal-lo. The Department of Education approved my application. In 1968 - 69, Lyceum of Lal-lo started to operate.

In 1969, the Novus Ordo Missae came to the diocese of Tuguegarao for implementation. We were told to change the Tridentine Latin Mass of St. Pius V. We wanted to know why and there was no explanation given. Since we wanted to show our customary obedience to our ecclesiastical superiors the order was implemented. "Roma Locuta Cause Finita" [Rome has spoken, the case is closed]. We little thought that our submissiveness was taken advantage of. The Latin Mass instituted by Jesus Christ was altered to a concoction of Msgr. Annibale Bugnini, a Freemason. The innovators gave us a counterfeit of the Latin Mass which is the Bugnini Mass. The maneuvers of the Masonic manipulators made us feel bitter the moment the deception was unmasked. The reformers gave us poison instead of nourishing spiritual food.

7. Bishop

In 1969, during my second year as parish priest of Lal-lo, I was preconized auxiliary bishop of the diocese of Tuguegarao. Bishop Domingo was not in the diocese then. He was in the United States visiting his brother but was present for the episcopal ordination which was presided over by the nuncio, the Most Rev. Carmine Rocco, DD. After my consecration, I continued saying the Novus Ordo Missae. My brother Jose, then a missionary priest of the Society of the Divine Word, (SVD) attended my episcopal consecration on February 3, 1970. But on April 25, he went home to God. As a newly consecrated bishop I attended his burial mass in Christ the Mission Church —he was buried in the cemetery of the Society [of the SVD] in New Manila.

In Vigan, there was a newly consecrated bishop, the Most Rev. Antonio Buenafe was designated auxiliary bishop of Nueva Segovia. His term however did not last long. A few days after his consecration he boarded a bus, Times Transit, for Manila. There was a quarrel among the passengers and the new bishop was shot by accident, in that cross fire. The gunshot was fatal. My superiors assigned me to take his place. Installation ceremonies in St. Paul’s Cathedral were presided over by the Nuncio, Most Rev. Bruno Torpigliani, DD, on August 1977. My stay in the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia was only three years. Towards the end of this stint, I was sent to go to the diocese of San Fernando of La Union because Bishop Victorino C. Ligot was very seriously sick in Cardinal Santos Medical Center in Metro Manila. Hearing this, I rushed to his bedside. He could no longer speak as he was in a coma. Bishop Ligot finally died on September 18, 1980.

After the funeral Mass, Archbishop Bruno Torpigliani, DD, the Nuncio, made me the administrator of the diocese of San Fernando, La Union and a few months later, I became its second residential bishop. The Catholic leaders convened to decide on the date for my installation as the second ordinary of the diocese of San Fernando, La Union, Philippines. The installation was done in the context of the Novus Ordo Missae on March 9, 1981. I continued saying this New Rite until I reached the age of retirement.

A few days after the celebrations, I went to the diocesan Curia. It was not a building separate from the cathedral. It was in the southern most part of the cathedral rectory. Fr. Laxamana, the secretary, welcomed me and then showed me around. In front of the curia offices, there is three-story building just finished through the efforts of the late Bishop Victorino Ligot. The Philtrust Bank was renting the ground floor. The third floor was occupied by the Insurance companies. The second floor was reserved for diocesan minor seminary —the Heart of Jesus Minor Seminary —which was operated by the diocesan priests. My second official visit was directed to the parishes and the diocesan schools. My overall impression was that Bishop Ligot served well the diocese. I decided to build on his accomplishments.

My general evaluation suggested that I first tackle the seminary problem. The seminarians should have a separate building and lot. Consequently, I took steps to look for a location where the seminary building could be constructed. Then applications for funding were made. In a year, positive response was received from funding agencies abroad. With this money, four hectares of land was bought in San Vicente, San Fernando, La Union, a barrio near the sea. The cornerstone of the administration building was blessed. And before long, the chapel and the dormitory followed. Other buildings came later: the residence of the bishop, convents for two communities of sisters, and finally the St. Joseph Pastoral Center.

After having familiarized myself with the curia set-up, I turned my attention to the programs for the gatherings of the priests that is, the recollections and pastoral assemblies. In the study of the finances funds were allocated for the sick priests and for the material and spiritual welfare of the priests for the diocese.

In the diocese the following apostolates received encouragements:

In March 1990, a very big earthquake shook the Island of Luzon. The epicenter was only 50 kilometers from the southern border of the diocese of La Union. It had the strength of 7.8 Ricther Scales. The damage was very great and extensive: 8 parish churches, 5 school buildings, and 5 rectories were partly or totally destroyed. Appeals were made to the funding agencies in Germany. Through the funds received, part of the damages were restored. But much of the damage of the destructive tremor was never rehabilitated.

8. Bishop Emeritus

In 1992, my only sister Teresa retired from her teaching job, as a college dean in a Zamboanga City, on retirement. She was also sick. So she went to her doctor in the University of Santo Tomas Hospital, Manila. Her physician diagnosed that her cancer was in an advanced stage. I wanted a second opinion so I advised her to go Philippine General Hospital, Manila. Doctors in the PGH confirmed the UST diagnosis. She was living with us in Project 4, Quezon City. I decided that she went home to Zamboanga City where her in-laws were residing so that they could help her and her only daughter Emily in case she was going to die. If she were going to die she could be buried beside Andres, her husband who went home to God many years ago. She passed away on December 21st,1996. God rest her soul.

In my thirteenth year as bishop of the diocese, I reached my retirement age. By canon law I was supposed to retire. I informed the nunciature and requested for replacement. Soon enough the most Rev. Antonio Tobias, bishop of Pagadian Diocese in Mindanao was announced as my successor. The new nuncio was invited by Bishop Tobias for the installment. The Most Rev. Gian Vincenzo Moreni, D.D. came to grace the occasion. As soon as the banquet was over I said goodbye to His Excellency Bishop Tobias. I left the diocese of San Fernando, La Union, to go on my own for good. That was on July 16, 1993.

There were invitations that I should stay in the diocese on account of my advanced age. An emerging community of sisters reminded me: "You are getting old.  Stay with us we will take care of you".  Well, I thanked them for their overtures. But there seemed to be a strong beckoning to leave San Fernando Diocese of La Union. I knew there were only few prospects for me outside the diocese but somehow I heeded the call of city life. I lived with my sister, Teresa, who also had retired from the office of dean of a college in Zamboanga City. Pooling our modest resources together we constructed a humble residence and there we lived.

9. The decisive visit

The place chosen for the building of our humble residence was not far from the priory of the Society of St. Pius X. One night Mr. Antonio Malaya, Jr., and four catechists of the priory paid me a visit. The four catechists were loaded with books. After the initial pleasantries, I put a question to my visitors: "May I know why are you visiting me"? They replied: "We want to know you".  I was happy at the reply. Mr. Malaya extended his hands and said: "Glad to know you".  The catechists were Jade Liboro, Agnes Mendoza, Mitzie Noche, Johanna Tabuena; they too held out their hands.

In less than an hour of a lively conversation they announced that they wanted to leave. On hearing this, one of the catechists inquired: "Can we leave these books with you"?  I was happy at the suggestion and my rejoinder was: "I’ll be happy if you do so".  Leaving the books on the chairs my visitors stood up and bade goodbye. I was happy they left the books. I like to read. In fact one of the things I missed as a bishop was to read for pleasure. Also I was eager to update myself. As a bishop I had plenty to read. I read the hand-outs from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) so that I could submit credible reports.

What was so puzzling to me was the fact that here was an international conference of 2,200 Catholic bishops and there were no bulletins, nor flyers to give us an idea of what was happening in Vatican II. It seemed that we were deliberately left in the dark. Was this an act of the premeditated strategy?  Well, I didn’t know.

10. Books which converted a bishop

So when my visitors were gone I scanned the titles of the books. To my joy they were the ones I wanted so much to read. Some of these titles:

• AA-1025, The Memoirs of an Anti-Apostle, —Marie Carré, TAN.

• The Kingship of Christ and The Conversion of the Jewish Nation —Rev. Denis Fahey, C.S.SP.

• Supernatural Life —Collections of Essays

• Freemasonry and the Vatican —Visconte Leon de Poncins

Encyclicals [all available from Angelus Press]:

1. Humanum Genus —Pope Leo XIII

2. Pascendi Gregis —Pope St Pius X

3. Mortalium Animos —Pope Pius XI

4. Mediator Dei —Pope Pius XII

5. Pope John XXIII Council —by Michael Davis, Angelus Press.

Reading these books gave me a better idea of the crisis and confusion in the Church today. It became clear to me who are the real enemies of the Catholic Church. Fr. Denis Fahey pinpointed them when he wrote: "The enemies of the Catholic Church are three. One invisible, Satan, and two visible: 

1. Talmudic Judaism, and 

2. Freemasonry."

Talmudic Judaism

That Judaism is the visible chief enemy of the Catholic Church, is evident from the Church history, from words and deeds of individuals, and groups and the teachings of the Talmud of which the Kabalah constitute the basis of Judaism.

Freemasonry

The third visible enemy of the Catholic Church is Freemasonry. Many Christians are reluctant to say anything about the power and control of Judeo-Masonry about its exercise in government, Church, and society, for fear of offending Jewish Masonic friends and neighbors. Many Masons are Christians who are ordinary good, patriotic citizens who joined the Lodge for fraternal book and social reasons. They are not privy to the secret machinations of the upper echelons of Freemasonry. Nevertheless it is the degree to which to Christian principles; he renders a disservice to his Christian religion —The first duty of any Mason is to obey the mandate of the Master (not Christ but rather the Master of the Lodge)" from the jacket of the book advertised.

One of the books that surprised me was AA-1025, The Memoirs of an Anti-Apostle, by Marie Carré. These memoirs of an anti-apostle were about a Communist who purposely entered the seminary for the Catholic priesthood with the intent to subvert and destroy the Church from within. This exposed the plan of the Masons to send and finance bright boys to the seminary to study for the Catholic priesthood. The project was started more than a hundred years before Vatican II was convened. Some of these priests were already bishops when Vatican II started, and ready for the Council.

Another book that was very enlightening was Conspiracy Against Life. The jacket makes this advertisement: 

In an all-out exposé, this book shows how the United Nations is used as killing machine of these conspirators (the Freemasons) to destroy the Roman Catholic Church and society. It reveals how they dominate the world by controlling all religious and politicians. Politics are manipulated by centralizing banking trade and the military. Global religion is syncretized by ranking Jesus, at the same rank as Allah, Vishnu, Buddha, and other ancient religious leaders. They proclaim the fallen Angel, Lucifer, the highest of all gods from whom Freemasons receive power, inspiration and knowledge.

Their mission is to build a kingdom of material property, one world government —a new world order, under Satan’s reign. This is what I saw on the jackets of the books I received and read. I found them very alarming. And I thought I should unmask them to my friends no matter how frightening were the programs of the enemies of the society and God.

It had been always a puzzle to me that, in spite of the condemnation of Freemasonry by Pope Leo XIII in his encyclical Humanum Genus (and by thirteen other popes, as well, starting with Pope Clement XII in 1738) there were Freemasons in the higher authorities of the Church. The magazine SI, SI, NO, NO related an instance when a nuncio had become a Mason, and not long afterwards was given the "red hat". What about the loyalties of these ecclesiastical Masons? Reading the books disturbed me greatly as I was still then saying the Novus Ordo Missae. To clear my doubts I read on. After more than a year of searching for the truth, I began to make a decision —I had to return to the Tradition of the Catholic Church and, along with that, to the Tridentine Latin Mass.

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