‘Pacquiao should do some genuine soul-searching and indeed remind himself that wealth, fame and fortune don’t matter when our life in eternity beckons.’
MANNY Pacquiao did not have to prove anything to the world, even without engaging Mario Barrios for the American’s welterweight title. He has to accept that his glory days are over, similar to the fate of other great champions of the sport who also made history.
While some say he is doing it for big money, he stands to endanger his health, including his aging mental faculties. At 46, his body no longer has the capacity to withstand the vicious blows or the flexibility or speed to still carry out his incomparably superior orthodox style against younger opponents.
Many people have been asking if this was meant to be a fundraiser for his bigger political plans, although he was quoted several times that he was quite disappointed with how politics have been run in our country. Indeed, millions have not taken him seriously as a legislator and occasional fiscalizer. Compared to more capable public officials who have proven their worth, Pacquiao would probably turn out to be a has-been, further wasting his huge resources.
World adulation has taken him away from his calling, which I believe is spiritually ordained for anyone. After he became a Born-Again Christian, he organized numerous Christian fellowships and began teaching and preaching the Bible. Instead of focusing on his new spiritual life, Pacquiao soon turned to politics, learned to mix his faith and political ambition and was elected a senator. After being exploited financially by numerous church and civic groups, Pacquiao ultimately left the first Christian church he joined and resumed his boxing career with renewed vigor.
For a while, as a Christian believer, he seemed remorseful over battering several opponents in the ring, trying to help them up on their feet after knocking them out. In his lopsided fight with Antonio Margarito, he approached the referee twice in the later rounds of the fight, asking that the fight be stopped because the severely-beaten Margarito could no longer fight back.
The Bible clearly says that “no one can serve God and mammon.” Pacquiao should do some genuine soul-searching and indeed remind himself that wealth, fame and fortune don’t matter when our life in eternity beckons. And that his countless abundant blessings should serve a truly greater purpose over and above his and his family’s worldly needs. Instead of supporting professional boxing, which is known as a decadent and brutal sport that commands earnings of hundreds of millions of dollars, he should reignite his advocacy for the Gospel by conducting spiritual crusades nationwide and contributing heavily to hospitals and orphanages.
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Christian communities in the country should rally behind Cardinal David’s strong opposition to online gambling. David is absolutely right in arguing against the so-called stricter restrictions to be imposed by the government, which will, almost certainly, fail to check and stop violations and other abuses online. David calls online gambling a “criminal act,” and criminals are known to find ways to break the law. He also warned against its very damaging impact on affected families and our unprotected socio-political culture.
