Any Church on Earth is Like a Nation
Posted on Tuesday, 7 February 2017
Any Church on Earth is Like a Nation
By Apolinario Villalobos
There is an adage that says, ”do not judge
so that you will not be judged”. What I am doing is not judging but exposing
what I see, observe and gather from researches. I have no right to judge, as I
too, am a sinner but in other ways, and definitely not regarding exploitation
of others. As I cannot just afford to be blind to what are happening around me,
I have to let out what I feel. If it happens that some people will agree with
me…fine. If the others do not…still fine, as each human who thinks sanely has
all the rights to his or her opinion.
The sensitive issue on the Roman Catholic
Church leaders in the Philippines has been put forward because of what for me
are the unbecoming acts of her leaders, particularly, in dipping their fingers
into politics which is no different from what their forerunners, the friars,
did during the Spanish period during which they ran the show despite the
presence of the town heads. Perhaps, they were afraid that if they showed
weakness, their holdings would be taken away from them.
In general, however, the commonality
between any Church on Earth and a Nation is their having human leaders, hence,
with human weaknesses. That fact alone does not need any further argument as to
the question on churches having corrupt leaders. Church leaders are not sons of
Gods born in heaven! The frocks, whatever is the style and colors, that the
leaders of the various churches wear as a a symbol of “spiritual authority”
does not exempt them from committing “sins”. It is even viewed as worse, if
despite their vows, they still commit unbecoming acts toward their fellowmen,
because they do not only offend the latter but their God, to whom they promise
their allegiance and made various vows.
One does not need to study in seminaries to
know what is bad, nor in colleges and universities to know what a corrupt act
is. The glaring truth is that since the conception of a new life in a woman’s
womb, innate bad characteristics are already ingrained in his/her DNA, and are
just waiting to be nurtured. In other words, any president, senator,
congressman, mayor, priest, bishop, nun, and anybody else for that matter is
born sinner and “candidate” to becoming corrupt. In this regard, if one
nurtures his bad characters…. that becomes the big problem. Further to this, it
must not be assumed then, that the Roman Catholic bishops who are viewed as
leaders of their church, are always right in what they are doing!
The problem with these Filipino bishops
today, is that they are only leaning on one side – that of the criminals who,
for them should not be killed….but what about their victims that they raped,
robbed, or killed! If these criminals are allowed to roam the streets, will
these bishops guarantee that they will not rape more children, even senior
women, rob more innocent commuters, or kill more hardworking neighbors?
These bishops are leaders of the Roman
Catholic Church….but what have they done to alleviate poverty and ignorance
among their flocks? Why did they allow them to become addicts? If they reply
that it is not their “duty” to teach them with “earthly lessons” as they are
only concerned about “spiritualities” then they must stop harassing President
Duterte with unfounded accusations that are clearly tainted with politics!
Discussion