A Catholic bishop known for his antigambling advocacy strongly criticized a fellow bishop and a group of nuns Sunday for attending a gaming exhibit, where the nuns were caught on TV cameras while trying out slot machines and blackjack.Filipino Archbishop Oscar Cruz (pic'd here) said it was improper for Bishop Antonio Tobias and the nuns to attend last week's Manila exhibit which featured new gaming technology given the Philippine Catholic church's strong stand against all forms of gambling.
Tobias, who took along the nuns, was invited to say a prayer Thursday at the opening of the Manila gaming expo which was partly sponsored by the state-owned Philippine Amusement and Gambling Corp., company spokesman Edward King said.
"It was very imprudent for them to go to an expo of gambling machines," Cruz told The Associated Press by telephone. "It gave a bad impression to a good number of people."
TV footage and newspaper photos showed at least four of the crucifix-wearing nuns in their habit and veil smiling in amusement while trying out the slot machines and dabbling in blackjack in a gambling table during the exhibit in a Manila convention center.
The nuns never wagered any money and were drawn to the gambling machines and blackjack table by curiosity, organizers said.
Still, the images were extremely rare in the predominantly Roman Catholic Philippines, where traditionally conservative church officials are highly revered and regarded as moral icons.
Cruz said he notified Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, president of the influential Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, about the action of Tobias and the nuns and sent him pictures of the nuns playing the slot machines.
It was up to the bishops' group to decide what steps to take, he said.
Monsignor Pedro Quitorio III, spokesman of the bishops' conference, said Tobias and the nuns committed an act of impropriety but added they would not be investigated because they did not break any church rules.
Cruz rose to prominence in recent years because of his crusade against gambling, particularly a popular illegal numbers game called "jueteng," reputed to be a major source of grease money for local politicians and the police.
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