POOR Cebu archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, now he’s brought it upon himself, this current mood of disrespect for his ecclesiastical authority. For one steeped in the psychology of human behavior being a shepherd of men, he appears to have overreacted on the Lozada phenomenon and unilaterally‘decided for his faithfuls’ when he could have best left them to discern things for themselves.

Vidal has done a fatal mistake barring any Catholic mass in Cebu for star corruption witness Rodolfo Noel Lozada in the latter’s current guest speaker mode that’s taking him around the nation.

We are quite sure even those who have been lukewarm to the Lozada ‘truth’ phenomenon, in fact may be distancing themselves from any active participation in the NBN-ZTE controversy, have just been given some reason to show their dislike for the Church’s seeming partisan moves.

In other words, by his action of rejection, Vidal has given the administration’s critics even more cannon fodder to throw at the already maligned Church.

What harm could a talkative Lozada possibly do that the media of opposition bent have not done already – that is heap all those reports about corruption in the higher echelons of government it has, frankly speaking, started to become a sad, boring refrain?

Many Catholics are now saying Vidal could have simply let things be and there would not have been this sharp and dangerous polarization of the faithfuls that’s threatening to rock the very foundations of Catholicism in the country.

Truth is, many have already started believing in the practical and sober wisdom of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines’ stand issued earlier and the more recent Ecclesiastical Letter of the Manila archdiocese condemning corruption and dishonesty on both sides of the political fence. In brief, the Church had already started earning points the past days for sober thinking and respecting its avowed position to steer clear from political interference.

And now this, coming from his Eminence. As the street line of Tagalogs would put it pointedly: Sira ang kamada, padre!