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Unholy Week |
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 by Krip Yuson
Sure, it’s a Catholic country. Women’s groups marching in the streets now demand
a stop to the usual meddling by busybody prelates. Not when it comes to our
(women’s) bodies, you don’t!
So what are we coming to? It’s not only women’s bodies that Roman Catholic
bishops are said to be hardly knowledgeable about, but most other features in
our variegated socio-political landscape.
The government mulls a lift order on a total logging ban. Why, expect some
outspoken bishop to sound off a thumbs-down stand. He knows better.
Gambling in any form? Another bishop will excoriate the practice, in toto;
others keep quiet as they may be on the receiving end of Pagcor largesse. Still
others take the donations and yet scrounge up the gumption to deliver an
occasional harangue against the state’s gaming franchise.
Anything that can draw a column inch of print media attention? Why, you can be
sure that “The Running Priest” will be just around the corner, blowharding
against this or that.
At the MTRCB, a majority of the board members and nearly the entire staff have
been petitioning the Palace for the ouster of one of their own, a supposed
Monsignor at that, who has managed to incense everyone with his obstreperous,
mock-crusading ways.
From the fictitious if stereotypical Padre Damaso to real-life contravidas in
cassocks, Philippine history has been replete with frocked characters who
overstep their bounds. Or, one might say, careers. After all, realists and
skeptics say, priesthood is a profession, or, let’s say, a vocation. Whichever,
it presupposes an area of expertise.
That area concerns devotion, spirituality, religiosity. It pertains to Christ,
God the Father, the Holy Spirit, Mama Mary, exemplary lives led by saints, the
efficacy of faith and miracles. Oh, of course all that involves the hoary
question of morality, which may be likened to one man’s sauce for this gander
but not for that goose.
It may be argued that gambling, logging, population programs, and anything
sociopolitical should fall under the all-encroaching ambit of avowed pastors.
Well, what wouldn’t, then? Which the gander and which the goose, cooked or un-…?
For the sane man who trusts an accountant for his ledgers, a lawyer for his
whereases, or a doctor for his diagnoses, government or any other entity is as
good as the plumber one was fated to call. Best to trust that he knows his
matrix of pipes; that’s his expertise. Anyone else pretends to be a know-it-all.
Alas, the jack-of-all-trades is a little leaguer
of a Renaissance man.
How else explain the eyebrow arching in the Church’s direction when a corruption
survey rates our Roman Catholic country a strong second in the region? Is it all
a matter of islands? Indonesia’s No. 1 cuz it’s got more?
Methinks there’s reason for all the lapsing that will exhibit itself on Holy
Week when families troop to beach or mountain, hometown or resort, and there
engage in activities that are a far cry from what the Castilian colonizers had
our progenitors embracing in observance of the Semana Santa of yore.
Sure, there will still be the pabasa, the pasyon incantation, the folk-Christian
extreme games like the orgiastic penitencia up and down the byways of Pampanga,
or the Kalbaryo that climaxes into a mediagenic mass crucifixion, with faux
martyrs emoting for CNN just so they might reach long-lost American fathers.
That’s one side of the Catholic Philippines coin. The other side will be
exemplified by the scene in Boracay, where perhaps some partyphiles will cover
up their bikinis from 12 noon to 3pm on Good Friday, then just as soon resume
the shimmying at Bazzurra Bar till some ungodly hour of Consumatum est!
Then there’s the middle ground: those who will still visit six churches on
Maundy Thursday, and avoid too much television the next day, except when it
shows Jesus Christ Superstar. How many Filipinos still belong to the decent
faithful who live up to their decreed beliefs?
The problem may be that the singer, not the song, has taken centerstage.
Extracurricular warts and all. And the disillusionment over their egoistic,
busybody proclivities is what drives away the erstwhile faithful from a sincere
manifestation of faith. The singers of “the greatest story ever told” must start
desisting from their deconstructionist ways, pull back and circle the wagons —
if we may mix our metaphors — around the solid rock of devotion. Otherwise, like
our cops and our military, our religious will be suspected of running too many
sidelines as to be effective in their central role.
Leave the conundrums and causes to the experts. Leave women’s bodies to the
women. Best to sing a hymn — “Give me that old-time religion!” — alone in
worship of Him, rather than spread one’s vocal chords all over the place. Who
knows? Maybe the “faithful” may yet relearn how to observe a less than unholy
week in His season of seasons.
* * *
Posted in Gutom.org with permission from Krip Yuson.
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Posted on Friday, April 29 @ 13:12:31 CDT by don |
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