Focus on the Philippine Church
By “Awake!” correspondent in the Philippines
ANTICIPATION had run high among the 40 million Catholic Filipinos for the past several months as the second visit by the head of their church drew near. Literally millions came out to see Pope John Paul II. The government declared two holidays, schools were closed and the streets were clogged with people trying to get a glimpse of the pope during the six-day visit, from February 17 to 22, 1981.
But was this outward show of religious zeal a sign that the Catholic Church is in a healthy state? It is quite revealing to note the comments of Filipinos themselves, most of whom are Catholics.
Minority Active in Faith
Neal H. Cruz, editor of Weekend magazine, pinpointed one problem when commenting on why the magazine was devoting so much space to the visit. “The answer is, although the Philippines is 85 percent Catholic after 460 years of Christianization, all is not well in the state of the Philippine Catholic Church. It has been estimated that only 10 percent of Filipino Catholics hear Mass.”
Pointing at this same loss of active members, J. T. Gatbonton, columnist for Asiaweek, notes an underlying cause, stating: “In the Philippines, as in Latin America, both the new urban middle class and the migrant poor are deserting the established church in droves because it seems less and less relevant to their lives. This desertion is reflected in the loss of vocations [or divine summonses to individuals] and the decline in churchgoing.” That loss of religious vocations has reached the point where, as recently stated by Marciano Guzman, a priest, “there are only roughly 2,000 diocesan priests attending to the spiritual needs of 40 million Catholics.”
Another reason cited as to why quite a number have stopped going to church was mentioned by Teodoro Valencia, who wrote in his daily column: “The reason many Roman Catholics don’t even go to church on Sundays and holidays of obligation is that many priests do not inspire religious worship by their open activism and political aggressiveness.”
Highlighting this inactive faith, the late priest Horacio de la Costa stated that religion is “something Filipinos learn in their childhood or in the school as an abstract thing or as a doctrine or academic exercise but it does not really become part of themselves, of their daily life.” It is something “to which believers give a notional assent but not a real, practical assent.” President Marcos, too, drew attention to a lack when he said: “We who watch from outside look to our church as the source of spirituality, and yet in our society we see the erosion of the moral base of our country and of our people. Here lies the failure of government but perhaps, too, the failure of our church.”
Were Their Hopes Realized?
The visit of Pope John Paul II was a whirlwind of activity on a 3,000-km (1,860-mile) tour through seven Philippine cities. The highlight of this tour was the first beatification held outside the Vatican, this for 16 Catholics who died in 17th-century Japan, including one Filipino, Lorenzo Ruiz.
In addition to saying Masses in a number of locations, the pope addressed problems that have been facing the church, just as he has done on his visits to other countries. He commented on human rights and support for the family, and reiterated the church stand on artificial contraception and on abortion. He expressed support for the poor and depressed, and he admonished the clergy to stick to their traditional role.
What was the reaction of the people to his statements? Many were full of praise, but others expected more. For instance, in Panorama magazine, Joan Orendain commented on some of the quotations from Pope John Paul II, saying: “To many who had hoped for so much, the pope’s 25 speeches seemed too simplistic . . . lacking in focus and specifics . . . There were just too many platitudes, not enough let’s-do-it here’s-how speeches.” Or as Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc expressed it: “The pope did not go down to brass tacks.”
In the Footsteps of Christ?
As Pope John Paul II toured the country, millions of Catholics and others were watching. Did they see in the pope an example of a man who was truly walking in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, and one who would help them to do that?
Interestingly, during his visit the pope declared: “The Church shows a special solidarity with those that are suffering and are in need . . . Injustice reigns when within the same society some groups hold most of the wealth and power while a large strata of the population cannot decently provide for the livelihoods of their families.” But the irony of it was noted by many and commented on by Jose Guevara, who said in his column: “Some of the rich, affluent and powerful were able to kiss the ring of the Pope several times while millions of the exploited impoverished only managed to catch a glimpse of his fingertips from afar.”
In contrast, Jesus Christ admonished: “When you spread a feast, invite poor people, crippled, lame, blind; and you will be happy, because they have nothing with which to repay you.” (Luke 14:13, 14) The example of the apostle Peter likewise was in contrast with that of the pope. The Bible, at Acts 10:25, 26, tells us: “As Peter reached the house Cornelius went out to meet him, knelt at his feet and prostrated himself. But Peter helped him up. ‘Stand up,’ he said ‘I am only a man after all!”’—Catholic Jerusalem Bible.
Sincere Catholics are taking a serious look at their church. They know that it has a long history. They realize that it has colorful ritual. But they are becoming aware that there are serious conflicts between their church and God’s own Word, the Bible. The question that confronts them individually is: ‘Which will I follow?’