During the Pacquiao-Bradley match last June 10, 2012, Manny Pacquiao lost via split decision. Both lasted 12 rounds inside the ring. The decision favoring Timothy Bradley stunned the crowd and the interweb – but one thing stunned me even more: during the match, Manny Pacquiao kept making the sign of the cross – despite the fact that he is now a Born Again Christian… or is he still a Catholic?
Photo from Fox Sports Australia
Pacquiao made the sign of the cross, a Catholic gesture, several times during his match with Bradley despite rumors that he is now a Born Again Christian.
According to Manila Times, Pacquiao is now a Born Again Christian. But according to Inquirer, Pacquiao is still Catholic – but that a Protestant priest is helping him study the bible. Recently, Manny Pacquiao has strengthened his faith after having made a few decisions in life he was not too proud of. Around the time that he promised to stay loyal to his wife, he started professing faith as a Born Again Christian. Pacquiao claimed he had new-found faith in God, quoting the bible for the media on several occasions.
CLARIFICATION: Certain factions are claiming that Manny Pacquiao is still a Catholic because some reiterate that being a Born Again Christian is not exactly a religion. Perhaps that’s the case, but there is a separate denomination under the popular name “Born Again Christian” and they are strongly against several Catholic traditions. The argument of whether or not Born Again Christians have a separate religion may be a matter of semantics – but let’s get back to the topic of this blog post for now. 
The real question I have in mind is, does Manny still belong to the Catholic community, or has he joined the Born Again Christian denomination? And if Manny Pacquiao is indeed a Born Again Christian (referring to the denomination), why is he making the sign of the cross? Of course, the last question is not applicable if he is still a Catholic.
During the match between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley held at Las Vegas on June 10, 2012, Manny Pacquiao kept making the sign of the cross inside the ring. Making the sign of the cross is a classic Catholic gesture, a testament to the Catholic community’s belief in the Holy Trinity.
Could Manny Pacquiao have reverted back to his former habits as a Catholic during his match with Bradley? Or was Manny Pacquiao still Catholic all along? If so, does he have plans of converting to another denomination? Was his making the sign of the cross a sign that he wants to remain Catholic? Read on for details.