Reforming the Church as an institution

An official of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Executive Secretary Rev. Fr. Jerome R. Secillano, has responded to the inquiry made by Ted Failon, on February 26, 2019, about the “sexual misconduct” besetting the Roman Catholic Church, on how this issue happened and can be given remedy in the Philippine context?

This issue of “sexual misconduct” was recently discussed in Vatican in its Bishops summit. In that radio interview, Fr. Secillano humbly admitted that the “sexual malady” has been happening in the Roman Catholic Church. Thus the Church as an institution should undergo a “reform.”

Reforming the Church as institution is not only good for the Roman Catholic Church. Reforming the Philippe Churches (Roman Catholic, Protestant Churches, Evangelical Churches, including Episcopal Church, Aglipyan Church, Methodist Church, United of Church Christ and other denominations) must be the concern of all Church leaders, church people and Christians as a whole.

Reforming the Church must be a continuing endeavor of the Churches. It is a process of renewing the Church not only the persons but its theology, liturgy, canons, mission, ministry, tradition and practices.

Reform is an act of changing, improving, correcting and rehabilitating a social order, a law and an institution. When someone undergoes a reform, he/she shall stop doing things that are not acceptable by the society or the public in general. Reforming the institution is not for its own welfare, but for the interest of all people and society.

The Reformation in 16th-century was a religious and political challenge to papal authority. It was started with Martin Luther, followed by King Henry VIII and others. It led to the Thirty Years War and the Counter-Reformation within the Western Church. The reformation was not only a process of correcting maladies of the practices but a revolution within the Christian Church. Many Christian Church dominations emerged, established and founded afterwards.

In the Philippines, Christianity has its own unique history and experiences.

Speaking of reforming the Church as institution, reformers must recognize:

1. That Christianity, basically the Western church, was brought in the Philippines by the Spanish colonizers and was used to subjugate the Philippine island
2. That Filipino Christians, including clergy, after 300 years of suffering because of the abuses of their Spanish taskmasters, participated in a reformation movement and eventually became a revolution in 1896
3. That the hope for a reformed Philippine Church was seen in 1899 Philippine republic led by Emilio Aguinaldo, Apolinario Mabini and Fr. Gregorio Aglipay and his comrade revolutionary clergy.
4. That the US colonizers stopped the reform movement of the Philippine Church initiated by the Filipino clergy when the American forces emerged victorious over the Filipino-American war in 1899
5. That the US colonial government instituted a policy of “religious freedom” by maintaining the Roman Catholic Church, supporting the influx on missionary Protestant Churches and Episcopal Church, while it also ‘permitted’ the establishment of Iglesia Filipina Independiente, Iglesia ni Cristo and other independent “protestant” Churches
6. That “religious millenarian groups” and “religious fanatical groups” under the influence of some politicians and “religious leaders” are being tolerated as long as they will not run counter to the purpose and interest of the US colonial government
7. That after the Second World War, many evangelical missionaries came in the Philippines to evangelize ad “save” the Christians in the Philippines
8. That ecumenism was propagated in the Philippines in 1960s, however, it is only limited to the establishment of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) which has membership comprising the mainstream protestant and independent churches
9. That in 1980s the New Religious Movement came in the Philippines as part of the US Counter-insurgency program which can be seen and recognized as Christian fellowships, campus crusades and Christian movements.
10. That these church denominations exist at present which have its respective instituted system, laws and practices.
11. That on February 17, 1972, the Christians for National Liberation (CNL), a revolutionary organization of church people and lay people was founded to participate in the new democratic revolution led by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) which has a program of reforming the Philippine Church as part of its seven-points program
12. That the Philippine Churches had celebrated the 500 years of Reformation in October 2017 and in 2021, the Philippine Churches will definitely celebrate the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines

The call to reform the Church is timely and relevant in the context of the continuing struggle of the Filipino people for a just and lasting peace. So far, a document that will help the Church reformers is the “Pilipinas” of the Christians for National Liberation.

Number 6 of the 7-point program of the Christians for National Liberation (CNL) states: “Struggle for democratic reforms within the churches in support of the new democratic revolution.”

This program was explained in the following 5 paragraphs.

1. The reactionary character of Christian churches prevents the full participation of church people in the revolutionary mass movement. The struggle for democratic reforms in support of the new democratic revolution within the churches therefore is necessary and a legitimate interest of CNL. However, CNL has no illusions that the churches can be transformed to fully transcend their reactionary character and become “national democratic churches”.
2. CNL supports moves for democratic practices and structures within the churches. It calls for greater co-responsibility of the laity and equal participation of men and women in the life and decision-making processes of the churches. It encourages greater responsiveness and accountability of the leadership to the community. It is against the continuation of all existing forms of feudal and colonial relations in the churches.
3. CNL must ensure that progressive and democratic church people, who are supportive of, or sympathetic to the new democratic revolution, are in the leadership and other responsible positions in the churches. Their role in turning the churches to the side of the revolution and in bringing about the desired renewal of the churches is indispensable.
4. In this struggle for democratic reforms within the churches, CNL encourages the development of progressive theology and pastoral programs. Worship, the understanding and proclamation of faith, and Christian service must be rooted in the life and struggles of the people, and must enhance and support them. Church programs must aim at eradicating the individualism and the sense of fatalism in the prevalent religious culture, and strive for the true empowerment of the people both in church and society.
5. At the same time, we must consciously link the various struggles – participation in decision making, equitable sharing of resources, relevant training and formation, self-organization, participation in the people’s struggles – to the overall revolutionary mass movement.

To support the continuing struggle for this program, number 5 of the same CNL Program shall be undertaken: “Wage a struggle against a colonial, feudal and fascist culture, and promote a national, scientific, mass culture.” The explanation are stated below.

1. The people’s war can advance only if there is a general awakening of the broad masses of the people and there is a revolution in all aspects of life, including the field of culture.
2. This is so because our enemies use not only armed strength against the people; they also use cultural weapons including religion to keep the people docile and submissive. They use a colonial, feudal and fascist culture to keep the people passive, confused and divided. This oppressive culture teaches them to submit themselves to some foreign power or powerful leader, or rely solely on some mysterious power.
3. CNL must help raise the people’s awareness that will impel them to fight and overthrow their oppressors and, in the process, give birth to a national, scientific and mass culture and replace the colonial, feudal and anti-people culture that now prevails.
4. We must propagate a revolutionary national culture in order to combat colonial mentality and subservience, and uphold the dignity and independence of the Filipino notion. A scientific culture must be fostered to oppose the feudal thinking, superstitions and ideas which keep the people in a world of ignorance, unfounded beliefs and prejudices rendering them resistant to revolutionary change. We must promote a mass culture expressive of the heroic struggles and aspirations of the toiling masses. We must support the struggle against national oppression and combat Christian chauvinism and discrimination to the culture and customs of the national minorities.
5. More so CNL has the responsibility to lead the struggle in the religious sphere for, in a special way, religious culture is being used by the state to mystify and domesticate the people.
6. Religious culture is exploited by the elite to maintain their rule over the people. Thus, we must carefully study and oppose the imperialist use of religion, both in its own heartland and in its neocolonies and the fascist use of popular religiosity and religious fanaticism for counter revolution. We must also fight against the phenomenal spread of religious fundamentalism among the masses.
7. Recognizing that the church is the bastion and purveyor of a patriarchal culture, the Christians for National Liberation is also one with the struggle for women’s liberation against male oppression and patriarchy. We also recognize the right to individual sexual preferences. We oppose all forms of discrimination based on sexual and gender differences.
8. We share this task in waging a struggle against a colonial, feudal and fascist culture, and promote a national, scientific, mass culture with all national democrats using all possible forms: arts and science, literature, visual arts, music, theater, film, and dance.
9. This is not just a fight over concepts and symbols. It is a struggle over cultural institutions: religious, educational and media to promote a progressive, liberating and transforming culture in line with the new democratic revolution.
10. Thus, CNL actively promotes solidarity with the poor and liberation theology as its own distinct contribution to the advancement of revolutionary practice and theory.

Reforming the Church as an institution? Then consider the programs of CNL for correct guidance.