‘Like Michael Jackson, Manny is helping heal the world’

by Alex P. Vidal

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – A priest from Davao del Sur in the Philippines has compared Manny Pacquiao’s penchant to spread the gospel of God to the late Michael Jackson’ passion to “heal the world” saying “God can use even a boxer to preach evangelism in a massive scale.”

Fr. Elieser D. Capuyan, DCD of St. Joseph The Worker Parish in Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur, said most international celebrities like the dead pop star and the boxing superstar “are using their focus and opportunity not just to anoint themselves but to spread the gospel of the Lord in a global stage.”

In Michael Jackson, Capuyan was referring to the same title of song that the late pop icon had popularized where it conveyed a message of love to “heal the world and make it a better place” for all regardless of sex, age, nationality, political and religious affiliations.

“Without him knowing it, Manny challenges everyone to show the faith in God because that is our vocation,” said Capuyan, who joined Team Pacquiao in early morning jog November 11.

The priest revealed he was surprised when during their arrival prayer inside Pacquiao’s posh room at The Hotel on the 63rd floor evening of November 9, it was the best boxer in the world pound-for-pound who led the praying of rosary.

“I thought that since I was invited to join the prayer together with a small group, I would be the one to lead the prayer as a priest,” Capuyan chortled. “Manny showed the basic principle of being a Christian to preach the evangelism and he is responding to his calling.”

As a priest, Capuyan said he knows that his capacity to preach the gospel of God is limited within his church. “Manny has all the world (listening) to hear his message,” he added.

More than his skills as a prizefighter, Capuyan said he admired the 30-year-old Pacquiao’s “religiosity, his faith in God and his humility because he always attributes everything as coming from God.”

Capuyan admitted it was his first meeting with Pacquiao in the United States although he already knew him way back in Mindanao where Pacquiao originally came from.

He refused to comment about Pacquiao’s chances to dethrone Miguel Angel Cotto for the Puerto Rican’s World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight bauble when the two tangle for 12 rounds in a title fight dubbed “Pacquiao vs Cotto: Firepower” at the Event Center of MGM Grand here on November 14.

Like Pacquiao, Cotto is also reportedly a devout Christian and is also preaching the gospel of God in his own way.