By Modesto P. Sa-onoy
While we are concentrating on the pandemic and survival, things are happening in the Catholic Church, from the Vatican to Germany and the US. The events taking place are not reported in the Philippines and thus hardly known that indeed the Catholic Church is facing a crisis of its own.
The pandemic has shown one of the effects in the Church. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the American guru on face masks, vaccines, and lockdowns, is in Rome speaking in a conference hosted by the Vatican but funded by Bill Gates, the Mormons and other leftist organizations. Many of the speakers are champions of abortion, homosexuality, same-sex unions and scientific experiments on humans. That range of speakers speaks of the mind in Rome today.
Among the suggestions of Fauci is for the Church to use the priests to advocate the acceptance of the vaccines. He need not suggest. Here the Diocese of Bacolod is already campaigning for vaccination. This has confused many Catholics.
The recent oratio imperata (mandated prayers) after the Mass on Sundays is praising the vaccine. I am aware however that several priests are against it. I asked a priest about this and he said the prayer was mandated by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines.
This is not surprising because even Pope Francis is pushing for the vaccine and called for “internationalism of vaccines.”
I wonder though whether church leaders have gone into serious study of the vaccine, especially on its contents, among which are stems from aborted babies. In fact, the manufacturers of these vaccines are leading financiers of Planned Parenthood, the world’s leading advocate of abortion. Yesterday, I read a report that for the last ten years 14 million babies were killed through abortion in the US and many parts of these babies are sold as materials for research, among which are for the vaccines.
But church leaders have a mind of their own that they even advocate giving Holy Communion to Protestants, promoting homosexuality, blessing homosexual unions and “walking with them.”
While the Church in the Philippines does not keep in step with those in Europe, it is worth keeping alert. The Church in Germany which is following what it calls the “synodal path”, a euphemism for more independence is challenging the decisions of Rome. The most recent is the directive to refrain from giving the blessings of the Church to civil unions of homosexuals. Many German bishops and priests said they would defy the ban.
A reporter asked Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller in a recent interview: “The dispute between the local German churches and the Vatican on the formulation of doctrine (which) is perceived by the public as a controversy. Could this dispute increase discontent towards the Church and lead to the further departures from the Church?”
The cardinal replied, “The human weaknesses and shortcomings of her highest representatives are always a test of our faith, to see whether we are in the Church because of Christ or for the sake of secondary favors. But they are never a reason to separate oneself from the Church. Because she is the visible Body of Christ and the Temple of the Holy Spirit. But whoever sins against the unity of the Church by serious shortcomings, disputes, and a desire for power is also responsible for the loss of external credibility of the Church. The internal credibility of the Church, that is, the devoted love of Christ for our salvation and the good example of the great saints, but also of the serious and inconspicuous Christians we encounter in daily life – this credibility cannot be destroyed by any power inside or outside of her community (Mt 16:18).”
The interviewer, Lothar Rilinger of Kath.net, pursued the issue, “Could this dispute even lead to schism?” To this Cardinal Müller replied, “I fear yes, but I hope not!”
There is growing criticism of the Church in the United States as bishops take sides on various issues, even on secular matters. The sad part is that discipline and obedience are falling apart.
There is silence among the Church leaders in the Philippines in the face of these developments. But soon or late, we will be confronted on where the Church will go.
Continued tomorrow.
