A warning from Pope Francis

Now that Pope Francis has left, it is time to recall and reflect on the messages that he gave during his visit to our country. Almost all of the Pope’s messages have been previously articulated in the Apostolic Exhortations issued last November 2013.

In his talk before the youth at the University of Santo Tomas, he ended his extemporaneous speech with the words “realities are more important than ideas.” This was his response to the emotional messages from young street children especially the ten-year-old girl who started crying after asking Pope Francis why God allows young children to be abandoned and become drug addicts and prostitutes.

In his Exhortations – paragraphs 231 to 233 – his subject is precisely to explain why “realities are more important than ideas.” He said: “There also exists a constant tension between ideas and realities. Realities simply are, whereas ideas are worked out.”

In paragraph 232-233 he says: “What calls us to action are realities illuminated by reason…We have politicians — and even religious leaders — who wonder why people do not understand and follow them, since their proposals are so clear and logical. Perhaps it is because they are stuck in the realm of pure ideas and end up reducing politics or faith to rhetoric…At the same time this principle impels us to put the word into practice, to perform works of justice and charity which make that word fruitful. Not to put the word into practice, not to make it reality, is to build on sand, to remain in the realm of ideas and to end up in a lifeless and unfruitful self-centeredness and agnosticism.”

He is saying that we do not know the answer to the child’s question on why street children must endure so much suffering. Let us accept that reality and instead of analyzing and feeling sad, we must ask ourselves:  what have we done to ease the suffering of street children and to bring justice to the victims of drug addiction and prostitution. As he said, let us think and feel but in the end “we must do.”

Other favorite topics of Pope Francis are corruption and “scandalous inequalities“ throughout the world. In paragraph 56 of his Exhortations, he said: “While the earnings of a minority are growing exponentially, so too is the gap separating the majority from the prosperity enjoyed by those happy few.” He blamed the imbalance between the extremely rich and the rest of the people saying it “is the result of ideologies which defend the absolute autonomy of the marketplace and financial speculation…To all this we can add widespread corruption and self-serving tax evasion which have taken on WORLDWIDE dimensions . The thirst for power and possessions knows no limits.”

His message on corruption is for the whole world and not just the Philippines. But I wonder, among the so many generous donors that gave to the CBCP for the Papal visit, how many became rich enough to donate millions through corruption or tax evasion or money laundering? I cannot help but also wonder if the Catholic clergy in the Philippines turned down donations from those known to be corrupt politicians, tax evaders and money launderers when they were soliciting donations?

The international organization – OXFAM – has recently released the results of a study on income inequality. According to them, by 2015 – this year – 1% of the world’s population will own more wealth than the remaining 99% of the planet’s total population. This means that 1% of the world’s population will own more than 50% of the wealth of the earth.

Perhaps this top 1% should heed the warning of Pope Francis when he said: “As long as the problems of the poor are not radically resolved by rejecting the absolute autonomy of markets and financial speculation and by attacking the structural causes of inequality, no solution will be found for the world’s problems or, for that matter, to any problems.

Pope Francis warns the world: “Inequality is the root of social ills.”

 The Clergy must lead by example

Pope Francis said that the Church must be a Church of the poor and for the poor. For this vision to be realized, it is the clergy that must lead by example. The bishops and priests cannot continue to blame everyone else – government, civil society, media, schools, families – unless they begin with themselves.

In addressing the clergy and the religious in Manila Cathedral, the Pope’s message to them was very clear when he said that they must lead “lives that reflect the poverty of Christ.” The clergy has two options. The first is they can say that the pope did not mean this statement literally – that this was just a figure of speech.

But the Pope also said: “Only by becoming poor ourselves will we be able to identify with the rest of of our brothers and sisters.”

The second option is to accept the words of the Pope as a “reality and not just an idea.” Perhaps the CBCP should begin by conducting lifestyle checks on members of the clergy. Then bishops and priests should stop accepting donations from those who are corrupt, tax evaders and money launderers. If gambling is immoral, then stop accepting donations from owners of casinos and jueteng lords.

Finally, if the clergy will really put the poor at the center of the Gospel, they can begin by helping all those beggars, vagrants and street children that are regularly seen surrounding many churches. How? Give them work with decent wages, provide houses for the homeless, feed the hungry and find loving homes for the children of the streets. All these are in the messages of Pope Francis.

The clergy must lead by becoming role models in these “new paths for the Church’s journey” that Pope Francis has shown the world.

Writing classes for kids and teens (Alabang and Makati)

Writing classes on Jan. 24 (1-2:30 p.m.) with children’s book author Grace Chong at Fully Booked Alabang Town Center; and January 24 and 31 at Canadian American School Alphaland Makati with children’s book authors, Kristine Canon & Raissa Claire Falgui who is also a Young Adult novelist. Call 0917-6240196 / email [email protected].

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Email: [email protected]