EDITORIAL - Prayer rallies should be in churches

The prayer rally spearheaded by certain officials of the Roman Catholic Church in some key cities in the country last Sunday did not gather the kind of crowds its organizers must have secretly wanted. In Cebu, estimates of the crowd ranged from one newspaper's "more than 50" to the "more than 200" of another. Whatever number those present may have actually been, it clearly never rose beyond dismal.

And that is because whatever noble purpose its organizers insist the activity had, it is no secret their own personal politics tainted it right from the start. No wonder many key leaders of the Church decently but pointedly stayed away even if, as a matter of courtesy, they sent representatives or had letters read for them. But it must have disappointed to learn their letters were read alongside letters from politicians notorious for their open agenda against the president.

To those who looked to the rally with genuine and sincere expectations of raising public awareness against the extrajudicial killings they accuse government of perpetrating in the course of its aggressive anti-illegal drug campaign, a sense of betrayal would not be surprising. It was more of a political activity than a prayer rally for national healing and unity.

Perhaps it is time for leaders of the Church to stop getting confused about their roles. If they want to pray and rally the faithful toward something positive for the nation, the place to do it is in the Church itself, not out there in the streets. From the pulpits of all churches everywhere, with religious icons all around standing in mute testimony, they can hold their audiences rapt and be more effective.

Out there in the streets, all talk of healing and unity gets lost in the ocean of red banners and placards all mouthing angry slogans. Any solemnity in purpose and prayer cannot rise above the din of aggressive and intolerant rhetoric. If God must be summoned in prayer to be at the center of any sought-after reform in society, let it be in a place where His presence is felt in all seriousness and majesty.

But sometimes, some Church officials just cannot rein in their own personal quests. They just have to be out there. Unfortunately for them, not everyone has what it takes to be needed there. Those aspiring to be the next Cardinal Sin need the charisma and the credibility of that great Man of the Masses. If they ain't got it, they better stick to the Scriptures and leave politics to the politicians.