Politics and the Church

Archbishop Oscar Cruz is still fulminating about political affairs, which is probably why Rome has given him an auxiliary bishop to attend to matters of the spirit in the Lingayen-Dagupan area.

Most of the other bishops appear to be heeding the advice of Archbishop Fernando Capalla to Angel Lagdameo, Capalla’s successor as president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). The princes of the Church, Capalla said, should take a break from politics and focus on the growing secularization of Philippine society.

Capalla was not exaggerating when he said even Pope Benedict XVI had expressed concern about secularization. It can be presumed that Capalla’s parting shot before bowing out of the top CBCP post — that there would be no change in the bishops’ stand on the political turmoil in the Philippines — was also cleared with the Vatican.

After decades of political activism, you can sense the effort of the Church to redefine its role in Asia’s bastion of the Roman Catholic faith.

Whether the effort will have a positive effect on the nation and the Philippine Church is anybody’s guess.

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Advocates of the separation of church and state, which is enshrined in our Constitution, are of course pleased.

But in a society filled with nastiness, the initial efforts have so far been met with skepticism and accusations that the bishops have lost their fortitude or, worse, have been co-opted by a venal administration.

The Manila archdiocese, once the seat of political activism, is trying to act as peacemaker, with Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales saying Filipinos should let God be the judge in current political controversies.

There were Catholics who rolled their eyes. The reaction to Rosales’ admonition is just another indication of how much influence the Church has lost with its flock.

Many of our myopic politicians surely missed the significance of Capalla’s expression of concern over secularization. The problem is not unique to the Philippines; secularization has been emptying churches across Catholic Europe in the past years.

The late Pope John Paul’s hard-line stance on issues such as homosexuality, women’s ordination, divorce and women’s reproductive health have not helped.

Neither have the sex scandals that continue to rock the Church around the world. The scandals have bankrupted dioceses that were forced to pay million-dollar settlements in the United States.

The Catholic Church must also compete with schisms and charismatic groups that refuse to toe the entire Vatican line, particularly on controversial issues.

The Church cannot ignore what it calls "cafeteria-style" religious devotion, where Catholics live by doctrines that they put together from different faiths. Often these people see no need for priests and other middlemen in matters of the spirit.

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It’s not just church attendance that is falling but also the number of men entering the priesthood. Modern life can make the demands of the priesthood, particularly the vow of celibacy, seem like supreme sacrifice.

With fewer people ministering to the flock, there is a greater burden on the princes of a Church that has been struggling to remain relevant in an increasingly secular modern world.

The Church must also redefine its role in a world where Islam is on the rise, where extremists are using faith as an excuse for mass murder.

If the Church wants to remain relevant, it should ask itself why people turn to religion.

Communism dismissed religion as the opium of the masses. Communism has collapsed (except in our country that has been left behind by the world) while the Church is still standing. Clearly religious faith is more than just an opiate for the soul.

In this country, religious devotion is often superficial, with people praying for a big win in the lottery or a nice husband for their crazy daughter. They donate generous sums to charity not just to be on the good graces of the local clergy but as insurance for easier entry to Heaven, just in case those stories about the afterlife are true. Some of the biggest donors to charity are gambling lords, smugglers and corrupt public officials, but they see no conflict there. It will be a long time before the Church runs out of these types of devotees.

People who genuinely seek spiritual guidance want to find inner peace, whatever their status in life, whatever the burdens placed upon them.

Obviously these people believe there is more to life than flesh, blood and material comforts, and they aren’t turning to religion to satisfy material yearnings. A Church that answers this higher need will have a believer for life.

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Does the Church fulfill this higher need when it gets embroiled in politics? Critics say that getting entangled in politics makes the Church lose sight of its bigger role.

Some members of the Philippine clergy have taken exception to observations that if they did a better job of ministering to matters of the spirit, there would be less corruption and political bickering in Asia’s only predominantly Catholic country.

Blaming the Church for corruption can be unfair, but disenchantment with politicking priests and bishops isn’t boosting church attendance either.

All politics is local, and a global Church would naturally want to address universal concerns.

Long before he became Pope Benedict XVI, Joseph Ratzinger was a known advocate of a return to a strong focus on spiritual matters for the clergy. He frowned on liberation theology and was widely believed to be the ideologue behind Pope John Paul’s hard-line doctrines, which compel Catholics to abide by the dogmas of the faith. For Benedict, it cannot be the other way around — the faith adjusting to the demands of the flock.

The CBCP’s stance since the start of the latest political turbulence inevitably reminds you of the Pope’s views. These days even a controversial bishop has stopped tackling politics and is preaching about spiritual renewal.

Are we seeing a long-term shift away from politics? And will the flock get the message and accept a changing Church? For many, the adjustment can be painful.

So far the message to let God be the judge has been received as a political statement rather than spiritual advice. Having dabbled in politics for so long, the Church is being criticized like a politician.