EDITORIAL - Catholic vote

In the sense that Catholic Filipinos cannot be commanded by their church to vote one way or the other, then the belief that there is no such thing as a Catholic vote in the Philippines has to be correct.

But only in that sense. Otherwise, all things considered, it does not follow that the choices Filipinos make in an election cannot be influenced, one way or the other, by the church upon which they entrust their spiritual lives, during visits they make at least once a week.

If only by the measure of sheer attendance, it can safely be inferred that Filipino Catholics have not lost faith in their God and in their Church. In fact, by the same token, it may safely be averred that the Catholic faith has grown ever stronger over the years.

True, many priests and bishops have fallen into disrepute and this has taken its toll on their credibility with the faithful. But this has not in any way affected belief in God. People continue to hang on to God for their spiritual salvation.

That God does not speak to His people directly but through His priests and bishops works in favor of these priests and bishops. In this way, they continue to wield an influence that cannot be shaken by worldly controversies.

And it is in this way that the Catholic Church, despite its not having the command ability to sway votes, can still be an influential force that cannot be ignored, and woe unto that politician who chooses to test whether this is true or not.

A person may not find his priest or bishop credible. But he nevertheless believes that God speaks to him through these people. A person caught in such a situation may find it difficult to divine the fine line that tells him which is which.

Now, a person who visits his church even for only one day a week will find the influence of such visits on his person quite strong. Eventually it will shape his thinking. There may be no Catholic vote precisely because there is no need for it. Anyone willing to put this to a test?