THE PHILIPPINES: Does Cardinal Sin sin?

Most of us know very little about the Philippines except that President Joseph Estrada has been indicted on charges of accepting money from gamblers. He has support among the common people and in a Christian sect not recognized by the Catholic Church, whose leader, Jaime Cardinal Sin is one of his harshest critics. Bienvenido Macario is a Philippine anticlerical. I do not know what he thinks of the sect which supports Estrada. He has sent me a clipping from the Filipino Guardian (11/3-6/00) with a confession from Sin admitting that he takes money from gamblers, but justifies it on the grounds that he does so to help the poor. The late Mother Theresa said it is not the practice of the Church to ask donors where their donations come from. Can any expert on the Catholic Church tell us if this is so? Is that the way the Vatican keeps going? Will the Pope tell Sin "Go, and sin no more!"?

Ronald Hilton - 12/22/00