TAGUM CITY — Inspired by Pope Francis, Catholic faithful here wanted church leaders to act not as “bigots” but like real missionaries by working closely with the poor.
Devotees were told to “reflect, repent and make sacrifices” during the week-long the religious observance of the Holy Week but parishioners said church leaders should have a sense of “commonality” among Christ’s marginalized flock—the poorest of the poor.
Parishioner Robin (not his real name) told DavaoToday that church leaders should act what they preach and intensify their evangelization with the poor.
“Ayaw ko ingna na ang simbahan gihimo na para sa mga adunahan. Kini gibuhat labaw para sa mga kabus. Ug kung hisgutan nato ang papel sa simbahan malambigit ngadto sa mga kabus, masulti nako na kulang pa kay sige ra man hatag ug pamulong unya lahi man among makit-an sa binuhatan, (I believe the church was created first and foremost for the poor. But I don’t see this in the actions of our church leaders. They are not doing enough for the poor.)” said Guzman.
Another parishioner Lourdes (not her real name) said that “Church’s mission to be with the poor is slowly failing because there is less attendance in Sunday masses and in Church-related activities in some local parish and GKKs (Gagmay’ng Kristohanong Katilingban).”
“They only exert a small effort to get the laity involved in activities beyond fundraising,” she said.
Meanwhile, a male Catholic now a protestant convert, who requested anonymity also said “the problem has something to do with the formation, education and lifestyle of the Church leaders which is contrary to the simple and humble personality of Christ.”
“Many priests are not good preachers and have serious problem with ethics and lifestyle,” he noted.
He added: “(E)ven leaders holding different apostolate in local parishes have low standards for Christian education and could hardly explain and articulate the sacraments and catechisms of the Church and its real meaning for the poor’s salvation.”
They said “reforms must be implemented to cleanse the century-old defects within the institution.”
“You couldn’t see a Church leader nowadays garbed in simple missionary clothes and ready to go to poor communities and far-flung areas,” said Lourdes.
When asked as to what inspired them now to comment on Church’s affairs, Lourdes said: “we are inspired by the deeds of Pope Francis because he models how Church leaders should act and he redefined the meaning of what is a true missionary church is all about.”
Pope Francis who was nicknamed—the slum Pope—presented his vision on the future of the Roman Catholic Church as outlined in an 85-page document which aimed “to decentralize the power away from Rome and towards bishops and priests working in Catholic dioceses around the world.”
The document entitled Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel) is a 2013 apostolic exhortation by Pope Francis on “the church’s primary mission of evangelization in the modern world.”
Catholic lay leader of Knights of Columbus Ignacio Lasco described the document as the “Magna Carta” for his papacy.
“I am hoping that the themes contained in the document will trickle down to the grassroots level including the obligations that Christians have to embrace and serve the poor in the society,” said Lasco.
Quoted in a news report, Pope Francis said: “I prefer a church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security,” he wrote. “I do not want a church concerned with being at the center and then ends up by being caught up in a web of obsessions and procedures.”
He even took a blow on priests’ and nuns’ boring and superficial way of preaching and their elitist attitudes in their local churches and communities.
“More than by fear of going astray, my hope is that we will be moved by the fear of remaining shut up within structures which give us a false sense of security, within rules which make us harsh judges, within habits which make us feel safe, while at our door people are starving.”
For his part, youth leader Dave Mangaran from Compostela Valley said the Church should improve its work with the Lumads who are more often “victims of oppression.”
Mangaran observed that in Compostela and Davao del Norte provinces, evangelical and missionary Churches are mushrooming rapidly particularly in mountainous and remote areas. “Protestant and fundamentalist groups are more aggressive in recruiting Lumads, compared to the Catholic Church.”
The Church, he added, “should go back to being a community of the people of God and his priests, his pastors and his bishops who have the care of souls, who are at the service of the people of God.” (Mart D. Sambalud/davaotoday.com)
