Manila: World-renowned boxer Manny Pacquiao has been reading the Bible for the past four months, and has also publicly renounced his alleged sins, sources said.
“First, he admitted before wife Jinkee that he had been ‘bad’ in the past, which perhaps included infidelity. Last week, he was reported to have finally given up his fighting cocks (numbering over 1,000), renounced gambling and sold shares he owned in one of the casinos in Manila. He also vowed to stop womanising… and boxing (next year), a sport that he said is anathema to his new found calling in the Bible,” said the Asian Correspondent.
Although he carries the Rosary and prays before and after every international fight, Pacquiao was human all too human, critics said.
Public repudiation
Asian Correspondent blamed the press for not really telling the truth about Pacquio’s private life, adding. “It took public repudiation of his (own) ‘sinful past’ for the press to take full notice of what they largely ignored from the world boxing champion in their efforts to protect his public image.”
At the same time, Pacquiao has agreed to become a Bible Ambassador of the influential Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), following reports that the CBCP also wanted to promote Bible reading, the Philippine Entertainment Portal (PEP) said.
“If they choose me (for that), (non-Catholic) pastors and (Catholic) priests can help each other encourage Bible reading,” said Pacquiao, adding the Bible “should not be kept in a corner, it should be read every day”.
He did not say if his spiritual mentor is a Catholic priest or a Protestant pastor. Catholics
'Key to salvation'
do not openly promote Bible reading to members.
Bible reading is “the key to salvation…..the key to have everlasting life,” explained Pacquiao, adding it gives one “a shield,” and God’s strength “to fight the evil spirit”.
Staff members are holding Bible studies after every taping of his TV show, Manny Many Prizes, the portal said.
Poor child boxer
Pacquiao was a poor child-boxer from the southern Philippines who rose as the world’s only eight division world champion.
Prestigious sports papers and websites have rated him as the world’s best pound for pound boxer.
In 2010, he won a seat at the lower house of Congress as a representative of Saranggani province in the southern Philippines.
