The ever-beautiful worldwide sensation, Charice, at the Pasig Cathedral for her formal "homecoming" to the Catholic Church. This lass was a former Manalist, and now leaving behind her past to be reborn in a new life in the Love of Christ administered by the successors of His Apostles. Photo courtesy of ABS-CBN broadcaster Karen Davila: http://tweetphoto.com/23397303
Last Thursday night, after dinner, I went online to do the usual stuff--checking updates, comment on Facebook posts, and think of what would I say (I'm picky and careful when I comment on something; not to be indifferent, but to be fair and to respect someone's opinion). As I check the blogs I'm following, I stumbled on Fr. Abe's post on The Splendor about Charice converting to Catholicism.
And I was like, "WHAAAAT?!!"
You heard it right.
The YouTube sensation-turned-versatile recording artist, and her brother Carl, left Felix Manalo's cult for the Church built by Jesus Christ Himself and received the Sacraments of Initiation last May 22, 2010, at the Pasig Cathedral. Her list of godparents included Oprah Winfrey (though not personally present), who believed in her from the first time Charice appeared in The Oprah Winfrey Show, her mentor, David Foster, OC, ABS-CBN boss Gabby Lopez, acclaimed "King of Talk" Boy Abunda, Presidential sister Kris Aquino-Yap, husband-and-wife broadcasters Julius and Tintin Babao (the latter came in late), and entertainment columnist Ricky Lo among many others.
How did Charice, Charmaine Clarice Relucio Pempengco in real life, and Carl became members of the infamous INC(M) cult? It is because their father is a member of it, and that their mother, Raquel Relucio Pempengco, converted to it in the years where they were still together. When Raquel knew that was it, she packed their bags, returned home (to her parents and to the Church), and never heard of Charice's father ever since. But I can say that this dark past they experienced has already been overshadowed by the attention the world gave; and by seeing the Light that inspires her to be more of herself and being fully incorporated in the Catholic Church--the True Church--there is a hope that the Holy Spirit would be in all her albums and tours.
And this is something surprising: After recieving the saving grace of Baptism, being sealed by the Holy Spirit, and hopefully, receiving Christ in the Holy Eucharist, she offered a soup kitchen as reception for underprivileged children as part of her mission! Can you believe that? She made her first charitable act as a Catholic--as a True Christian--right after her enlistment as a Soldier of and for Christ!
In her famous single, it says that love stands "like a pyramid". If love is like that--standing "to the very end"--I firmly believe that the Lord's love for us is much, much more than that. May our Triune God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be praised in all her endeavors, and may He endow her with more blessings! TO THE TOP, SISTER CHARICE!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment