Popular piety revisited

Thanks to God, we can still count on a rich mine of popular piety in our society. The fiestas in the different cities, towns, barangays and even sitios have their origin and inspiration in religion and people’s faith and devotion to God, Christ, Mary and the saints. These fiestas really transform the atmosphere of the place drastically.

It would seem that this tradition is already so embedded in our culture that no matter what happens in the world and in our country, whether in the tumultuous fields of politics or the economy, a good number of the people still take time to celebrate these fiestas. They are quite serious about them.

There’s a joke, for example, (obviously with a grain of truth) that for Boholanos, the month of May is sacred. Wherever they may be in the world or in the country, they would go home in May because that is the fiesta month of the province. Even those already in heaven would ask permission from St. Peter to come home to Bohol in May!

Some of these fiestas take on a very special character in terms of people’s participation, peculiar expressions of piety and impact on society. I’d like to mention a few—Manila’s Black Nazarene fiesta, Cebu City’s Sto. Niño feast with the accompanying Sinulog, the feast of Our Lady of Penafrancia in Bicol.

All these displays of public piety should be understood as a living thing involving an interplay of divine intervention and human correspondence. They are not purely social phenomena. As such, they have to be properly guided and developed by Church authorities, and not simply left for all sorts of factors and elements to define them along the way.

That’s the reason why the Vatican issued in 2001 a Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy. One of its sections talks about “Evaluation and Renewal” (no. 12), precisely because these manifestations of public piety need to be purified and set on the right track for their proper development and path to Christian maturity and perfection.

It cannot be denied that there are serious threats that can compromise the authenticity of people’s piety. Accusations of superstition and fanaticism, of commercialization and politicalization of religious events, etc., just would not emerge without some shred of basis.

That’s why Church leaders should be actively and closely monitoring the developments in this area. It’s not just a matter of vetoing certain practices immediately and automatically applying penalties without considering the real situation on the ground.

For example, not celebrating the fiesta Mass in places where some disco parties, Miss Gay and Bikini Open shows are held is, I think, a bit senseless, because that penalty most likely would be punishing the wrong people, since the people who want to have Mass are those who usually do not go to these said events.

Such penalty is like a sword of Damocles that is never a good motive for people to behave according to Christian moral standards. It’s like blackmailing them without giving due effort to understand or to do apostolate with those who may have ideas and practices different from those of the Church.

There are many cases that need to be re-examined. That’s why it’s good to take a look at the guidelines given by the Vatican directory on popular piety and apply them persistently even if slowly and, especially at the beginning, awkwardly. Of course, we need the competent Church personnel, properly trained and motivated, to do this.

Among the criteria mentioned in the Directory for evaluation and renewal of popular piety is the “anthropological spirit” which is something to be really mastered by those who have the responsibility in upholding the true essence of popular piety.

This has something to do with having a good understanding of what would comprise as essential in humanity and Christianity as it impacts with the varying and changing factors of time, place, culture, sensibilities, etc.

This is a very tricky, dynamic task that certainly needs an interdisciplinary approach and skills in continuing dialogue, consultation and implementation. But it’s worth all the effort and the sacrifice involved.

We need to think of the future, of how the current state of popular piety that we enjoy can cope with the changing times and attitudes of people. For sure, the Holy Spirit will always do his part, but he will always need our cooperation. Remember that everything in our life, including our public piety, is a joint venture between God and us.

Let’s be forward-looking in our devotions and public piety!