Prelate says Church not closing doors to suicide victims

MANILA, Philippines — The act of suicide is condemned by the Church but for Capiz Archbishop Onesimo Gordoncillo, victims should still be given Mass especially if certified by the doctor to be not in their right mind. In an interview early Friday over church-run Radio Veritas, Gordoncillo was asked his opinion about the case of Trinidad Etong, the wife of broadcaster Ted Failon, who was said to have shot herself on Wednesday inside their house at Tierra Pura in Quezon City. Etong died Thursday night at the New Era General Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit due to a gunshot wound fired into her temple. Failon, along with his daughters and his wife’s siblings, have stated that Trina Etong took her own life due to undisclosed problems. “[K]ung merong sinabi ang doctor na certified na [If a doctor certified that] she is not on her own mind when she committed it because of some psychological problem, ay dapat pa rin itong maisama sa misa [she should still be given Mass]," Gordoncillo remarked. What the Church condemns is the act of committing suicide, not the one who committed it, because it is like putting into one’s hands the power that belongs only to God, Gordoncillo said. Even if Etong is proven to have killed herself, “if in her last breath, she asked for forgiveness, God will forgive her because He is a loving God," Gordoncillo said. And for those who are losing hope, Gordoncillo said, they should not forget to seek God’s forgiveness. “Halimbawa nga nag-hung ka at in your last breath sinabi mo Lord patawarin mo ako [For instance, if you hang yourself and in your last breath you seek the Lord’s forgiveness, in a split second decision you say o Lord forgive me then the Lord will forgive you because He is a loving God," he said. Even the corrupt officials are forgiven if they open up their heart to God," he added. - Katrina Louise Francisco, GMANews.TV