Fighting Church

Commentary : Bishop stands for morality all over

Asuncion David Maramba
Inquirer News Service

TO "CONFINE OURSELVES TO THE SACRISTY" OR TO SALLY forth and engage the world-this is the challenge over which many a priest and bishop must be agonizing. Archbishop Oscar Cruz, running priest Fr. Robert Reyes, Jaime Cardinal Sin, Bishop Julio Labayen, Fr. Ruben Villote, Bishop Antonio Fortich, Fr. Nico Bautista et al. may be prototypal of those who have courageously gone forth.

Archbishop Cruz, making headlines since July, has shown courage for at least three reasons. The most visible reason-and, perhaps, all that people see-is his boldness in exposing jueteng; in fact, he also exposed himself to political vultures who could devour him without mercy. It is belaboring the obvious to say that the attempts to indeed "devour" him have been sorely felt by the bishop. For a while I feared that he might be "abandoned" even by his co-bishops. What a relief that they stood behind him!

The second reason has to do with our truncated view of morality and of the role of priests, both of which are intertwined. The mindset has lain deep in our moral-religious culture for centuries, imbedded like an impacted tooth.

Too long have we been brought up or brainwashed to think that "morality" has to do only with sex, "private lives," indecent exposure and, lately, with birth and death issues. Because these issues are often settled in the confessional boxes inside the churches, therefore, the "guides of morality"-meaning, the priests and bishops-should also "stay in church," so the thinking goes.

The truth is, morality inheres in every human act, in itself, in its objectives and circumstances, in its relationships. All fields are awash with the moral dimension: governance, environment, war, wealth, poverty, business, gambling, property, justice, media, advertising-name it. Politics, for one, is swimming in morality issues (or, should we say, sinking in immorality).

As one young, wise priest put it, the Church has been obsessed with the beginning and end of life, and has neglected everything in between. And "everything in between" is out there; humongous, complicated and serious. How can one expect the enlightened priest or bishop to stay in the church? Morality is everywhere. Perhaps, the controversy over the matter will keep the safe players in the sacristy, but the brave will be restive and go out.

How has it come to this? This is a fruit of several related dichotomies (a long story) we have been brought up in: body and soul, Martha and Mary, God and Mammon, Church and State (yet to be fully understood), secular and spiritual. They have done ill to the character of Catholicism. They have split the whole man. Most of our public servants from the President to senators and congressmen, governors and mayors down to the barangay captains are mostly Catholics, but what a bunch of Jekyll and Hyde's.

Those who would make us moral in a cultural climate like this-like Bishop Cruz and those before him, with him and after him-display great courage in restoring the fuller role of the priest and the paradigms of morality to its entire range. "Sumosobra na," said a dear Catholic friend of the actions of Bishop Cruz. Have I been of help?

There is a third and even more subtle reason for the courage of Bishop Cruz. Right after the July 9 CBCP (Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines) statement, which was titled, "Restoring Trust: A Plea for Moral Values in Philippine Politics," news came fast that the Vatican, through the Nuncio, had cautioned and advised the bishops to keep off politics. Commentators even suggested that that advice could have changed the tenor of the statement.

The report pointed to one of the many burning questions in Church governance, set down in a number of Vatican II documents and decrees. It is "collegiality" which, in brief, deals with the interplay and/or balance of authority and autonomy in the relationship between the local Churches and the Vatican. It's a very delicate but urgent matter that must be discussed and settled by bishops of any given Conference, among themselves and with the Vatican.

The tension (not conflict, please) between the two is inevitable. On the one hand, the Vatican up till Pope John Paul II (and possibly till Benedict XVI), despite Vatican II, seems loathe to loosen an almost absolutist papal and Vatican center. How we looked up to the autocratic Pope Pius XII as fount of authority! On the other hand the local Churches have felt the need to have space for discretion, decision-making and some devolution. Cardinal Sin was said to have been cautioned to keep off politics, but we all know what he did.

Given very diverse situations in the local Churches, pastoring would have to be vastly different in the Philippines from that in Africa, Rome or the United States. Unity in diversity is attainable. "Unity, not uniformity" will not sunder the Church. "Collegiality and co-responsibility are now the order of the day."

Bishop Cruz's courage in wading right into the jueteng scandal, is in some way, testing the waters of collegiality.

It's great to see my Church in fighting form.

Asuncion David Maramba is a retired professor, book editor and occasional journalist. Comments to marda@info.com.ph; fax 8210659