Canonical Interview

I've blogged a few times that the first thing we actually "booked" was our priest. Fr. Caloy usually officiates the first Friday masses here at our office. I've been inspired to go to mass during first Fridays because of him. His sense of humor is right at the bat but he strikes you as someone who is sincere and honest in what he says.

Joema has not met him until our canonical interview last week. And like me, he loved Fr. Caloy's humor as well. Joema wanted someone who will make us laugh on our wedding so I made the right choice based on his criteria hehe. Some of the things we talked about during the interview:

• Fr. Caloy asking us if we're both Catholics. Then I told him that Joema isn't, he's a Methodist.

Fr. Caloy: Ah talaga Methodist? Yung girlfriend ko din non Methodist e.

Me: Yan po ba yung classmate nyo sa Social Dance*?

Fr. Caloy: Ay hindi bago pa yun.

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Fr. Caloy: Naalala ko pa non pumupunta kami dun sa piangttraining-an ng mga pastor nyo (Methodists) sa may Tagaytay di ba? Pastor kasi tatay non e kaya sinasama pa nya ko dun non.

• When asked about the impediments to marriage. He had to explain the "Others" part.

Fr. Caloy: Sa "others" kasama jan yung impotence. Kasi kung impotent na di na ikakasal yan. Dati nga may lumapit sa kin na sissenta-anyos na lolo gusto magpakasal. Tinanong ko kung tinatayuan pa sya sabi nya hindi na. Sabi ko "'Lo, subukan nyo kaya bumili nung viagra. Kung tatalaban pa kayo non ikakasal ko kayo." Sabi ni lolo, "Nagbibiro ho ba kayo?" sabi ko "ay hindi ho seryoso ho ako" LOL

• When asked where we lived

Fr. Caloy: San ka ba lumaki? Ah sa Valenzuela, sa may Marulas? May bahay kami dati jan e.

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Fr. Caloy: San ba kayo don? Sa may {insert name of village}? May bahay pinsan ko don.

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Fr. Caloy: Sa Bulacan ka ba? May bahay din kami dun sa may Marilao. Ang sarap ng talaba don!

(Gusto ko humirit na...Father, ang dami nyo pong bahay ah!)

• With the question, are you giving your consent to marriage with your entire freedom

Joema: Opo

Fr. Caloy: Sigurado ka? Gusto mo palabasin muna natin sya tapos sumagot ka ulit? Sigurado ka ha?

• Talking about the ghosts in the seminary

Fr. Caloy: Ako hindi naman ako nakakita e. Pero meron kaming naging bisita nakakita daw sya. Ewan ko ba don ikinwento pa sa kin. Kumuha tuloy ako ng aso para may kasa-kasama ako dito.

• Telling a story about the Italian priests who can't speak English. The priest ordered hamburger while in New York

Fr. Caloy: Sabi nung pari "Amburger!" di marunong mag-English e yun lang alam nya sabihin. Sabi nung crew: toasted or not. Sagot yung pari "Amburger". Tanong ulit yung crew: toasted or not. "Amburger!" E nainis na yung crew hinawakan sa kwelyo yung pari na parang sasaktan na. Natakot yung pari "Pizza!" ...true story yan ha! LOL

• Still talking about Italian priests. Three of them were going to visit the seminary

Fr. Caloy: Ayan o bumili nga ako ng kape P300 ang mahal-mahal. Buti na lang isang linggo lang sila dito. Kasi kung mas matagal baka kailangan ko pa bumili ulit.

* In one of his Friday mass sermons, he talked about his calling to priesthood. He wanted to be a priest as early as when he was in Grade 2. He would practice with his cousins and have them "eat the bread". But when he was in Grade 4, an older cousin of his told him he was stupid to go into priesthood because he wouldn't have any girlfriends. And he was convinced! haha During high school he had crushes on his beautiful classmates. Druing this times, he knew he had a calling but brushed it aside. And then during college, when he had to take Social Dance as his PE he had a major crush with one of his classmates. He would ask her to practice even after classes hehe. It was during this time that he was asked to come to Vatican by a priest. He went and he saw Pope John Paul II and was lucky enough to kiss the hand of the Pope. When he came back, he heeded the call to priesthood.