Letter to the Editor — Bishops as a social problem

It gives me great pain to see how some of our bishops, especially those now handling the leadership of the bishops' conference, are meddling in politics and in matters on which they have no competence and authority.

Reading through some of their statements, I am bothered to notice the gall they have when they talk about how to carry out the prophetic function of their office in these times, when in reality they are just spewing at best political opinions and social theories.

Their views may be more or less brilliant and clever, but just the same, they are only opinions and theories, not gospel truths that they are supposed to proclaim and defend.

This was not what Our Lord did and taught. This was not what Our Lord asked his apostles and their successors to do. The Compendium of Social Doctrine teaches the following relevant point:

"Christ did not bequeath to the Church a mission in the political, economic or social order; the purpose he assigned to her was a religious one."

"This means that the Church does not intervene in technical questions with her social doctrine, nor does she propose or establish systems or models of social organization."

"The Church's competence comes from the Gospel: from the message that sets man free, the message proclaimed and borne witness by the Son of God made man." (n. 68)

I believe the point is quite clear enough. Common sense can readily tell us that that is how the Church should be if she respects the dignity of the human person, not only taken individually but also in his social life.

If in matters of faith and religion which deal with absolute and eternal truths and therefore they can only be one, universal and immutable, we respect the consciences of people (the so-called religious freedom) and we allow a variety of faiths and religions, how much more do we have to respect the consciences of people when talking about matters open to varying opinions.

The Bishops' statement on the Charter Change, I believe, is already out of their competence. They are already entering into "technical questions" and proposing "systems or models of social organization."

That's why I don't know where they are coming from and on what authority they are standing when issuing statements like what they did on Cha-Cha, jueteng, Sugbuak, and the like.

They were not only giving guidelines, but were clearly proposing specific positions, often attributing evil motives, albeit implicitly, to parties who have opinions different and even in conflict with theirs.

This is foul. In sports parlance, that could even merit a suspension. This is especially so when one also considers the language used - full of sarcasm and dripping with sickening sanctimonious pretensions.

Rubbing it in is when their media liaison officials tell one and all that the bishops were not being condescending when they made those statements - a blatant lie, because from the text and tone alone, condescension is what you see from start to finish.

Our love for the Church should make us to be ever on the lookout for false prophets, especially those dressed as bishops. We have a big problem in the Church!

Leopoldo C. Sanchez
RER Subdivision
Cagayan de Oro City