OFFICIAL STATEMENT REGARDING MR. JOHN COLLADO
from Philippine Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate
Referred Post: https://www.facebook.com/phil.campos.3910/posts/302873980088278
On September 25, 2016, during the Philippine sect “Iglesia Ni Cristo”'s event in Lagao Gymnasium, in General Santos City, they are boosting that infront of their 50, 000 members, a priest of the Orthodox Church in the person of JOHN NGALON COLLADO take off his priestly vestment and converted to their sect. The video, photos and statements were attached on their post on social media. To shed light on this, we would like to correct the false claim of the Iglesia ni Cristo sect as well as the crime commited by Mr. Collado by declaring the following FACTS:
1.) MR. JOHN COLLADO IS NOT (AND NEVER HAS BEEN) AN ORTHODOX PRIEST
2.) MR. JOHN COLLADO HAS NOT BEEN ORDAINED EVEN IN THE LOWEST RANK WHICH IS AN ORTHODOX READER
3.) MR. JOHN COLLADO IS A FORMER PRIEST OF THE PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENT CATHOLIC CHURCH (PICC) ALSO KNOWN AS AGLIPAYAN CHURCH WHO GO ON SCHISM FROM PICC TOGETHER WITH OTHER AGLIPAYAN PRIESTS AND CREATED THE INDEPENDENT CATHOLIC CHURCH OF MINDANAO (ICCM).
4.) MR. JOHN COLLADO TOGETHER WITH OTHER ICCM CLERGIES CONVERTED VOLUNTARILY THEMSELVES TO THE ORTHODOX CHURCH (MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE) AND WE KNOW HIM ONLY FOR 2 1/2 YEARS.
5.) HE FORFEITED HIS AGLIPAYAN PRIESTHOOD IN AUGUST 2015 AND WAS BAPTIZED AS AN ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN AND BECAME AN ORTHODOX LAYMAN.
6.) SINCE HE IS A NEW CONVERT, WHOSE EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND IS ONLY A HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE (WHICH IS ALLOWED IN AGLIPAYANISM FOR ORDINATION), AND HE NEVER ENTER INTO A PROPER SEMINARY EVEN IN HIS AGLIPAYAN TIMES, AND UPON CONSIDERATION OF THE NATURE OF HIS UNSTABLE CHARACTER, HE IS NOT EVEN AMONG OF THOSE CANDIDATES FOR ORTHODOX PRIESTHOOD.
7.) HIS STATEMENTS THAT HE NOW FORFEITS HIS ORTHODOX PRIESTHOOD ARE FRAUDULENT. HE IS MISLEADING THE PUBLIC BY LYING PUBLICLY AND HAS COMMITTED A CRIME OF MISREPRESENTATION AGAINST THE ORTHODOX CHURCH.
8.) THE VESTMENT WHICH HE IS WEARING AND TAKEN OFF AS SHOWN IN THE VIDEO IS NOT A VESTMENT OF AN ORTHODOX PRIEST BUT OF A CATHOLIC ONE AS COPIED BY THE AGLIPAYANS.
9.) THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH MISSION IN THE PHILIPPINES TO WHICH MR. COLLADO HAS BELONGED, IS ONLY MORE THAN TWO YEARS SINCE WE STARTED OUR MISSION AND WERE NOT ORDAINING YET NOT EVEN A SINGLE FILIPINO ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN TO ANY RANKS OF PRIESTHOOD AND HAVE NO PRIEST YET AS OF THIS TIME IN THE PHILIPPINES.
Having said the above facts, we reproach the leaders and members of the so called “Iglesia Ni Cristo” for spreading lies publicly WITHOUT verifying first the background of Mr. Collado. This only proves that this sect is IRRESPONSIBLE and NOT preaching the Truth as they even unable to do a background check to verify the claims of Mr. Collado, OR knowlingly facilitates the fradulent activity. We know the “Iglesia Ni Cristo” has a capacity to do verifications or background checks as they have members who work in many government agencies, yet they opt to just spread lies on their evangelism activities, a proof that their “evangelization” is accompanied with LIES.
We are calling all people of goodwill, including public media and government authorities not to be mislead by the lies propagated by Mr. Collado, and to refrain from further publicizing these lies.
To all Orthodox Christians, let us pray for Mr. Collado's soul and for his repentance.
