EscucharSAN JOSE - Whether he likes it or not, Father Minor de Jesús Calvo (Padre Minor), 34, has become one of the most recognized and controversial public figures in the country.
The priest, accustomed to the local media -specifically radio and television, on which he has broadcasting spots- was interviewed by the daily La Nación on Friday afternoon for one hour. What follows is a brief summary.
Padre Minor firmly stated that he does not seek fame: "One newspaper said: Church is against congressmen. This is unfair because I'm a servant of the church, just one more bishop of the church."
The headline was due to Padre Minor's public attacks on the congressmen's proposal to raise their salaries to ¢1,128,413 ($4,460) a month, saying on local television that they were thieves for trying to earn a "rich man's salary in a poor country."
Minor stated in the interview that God has given him a certain charisma that he must utilize with respect, wisdom and prudence. Although this might seem to contradict his habit of making controversial statements, he clarified his position on the congressmen by saying that "it's fair if they earn ¢400,000, or even half a million ($2,000) a month, but I considered one million to be unfair.
"To steal is not only me taking ¢1000 from your pocket. There are many ways of stealing."
The priest rejected the statement that he speaks his mind with no fear of retaliation because he cannot be sued. "Do you think I'm immune?" he asked.
Minor briskly added: "I know what I'm exposed to, but I am not afraid of the consequences. I'll continue calling things the way I see them."
He added, however, that "I don't feel threatened or persecuted; there will always be people that don't agree with me, that's very natural. I can't expect everyone to agree with everything I say."
Meeting with Arrieta
As a result of his latest statements about Costa Rican politics, Minor had a meeting with the Archbishop of San José, Monsignor Román Arrieta on Thursday. In the encounter, "he (Arrieta) did not tell me to keep quiet, but did ask me to consult him and said that he would be there with pertinent advice, especially when talking about political issues."
The Catholic priest added that "this was his first my first dressing down in five years. But the Monsignor told me: I'm not calling you to tell you off because you are not a kid, I'm calling you so that we can talk and prevent things from taking a more serious turn than they already have."
