CALLED TO BE SAINTS: A DESCRIPTIVE AND HISTORICAL RESEARCH ON THE MISCONCEPTIONS OF THE FILIPINO...

CHAPTER ONE:

PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

1.1 Introduction

Anno Domini 2014 was proclaimed by the CatholicBishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) as the ‘Year

of the Laity’ in the preparation for the 500th year of

Christianity’s existence in the Philippines in 2021. It is

the fact that the Christian faithful are to fulfill with

great diligence their responsibilities to which they are

bound not only for the Universal Church, but also for the

particular Church to which they belong according to the

precepts of the law (Can. 209; Garcia, 1984). Hence, the

fruit of this existence of the Catholic Church in the

Philippines is the unwavering religiosity and belief of the

Filipino people on God’s love and mercy up to the present

era.

1

Religious experience plays a vital role in

Filipinos’ everyday encounter with God and their

relationship with its fellowmen. This is possible in any

religion and culture. Even the Bangalore conference notes

that the existence of God in Semitic and western tradition

tends to be dualistic whereas the oriental tradition tends

to be dualistic whereas the oriental tradition is not

dualistic (Mercado, 1977). By this religious experience,

Filipino Catholics drive to govern such responsibilities in

the Church such as assisting the jurisdiction of the clergy

in a particular parish/ local community. By the virtue of

their baptismal state and their specific vocation in the

measure proper to each person, the lay faithful participate

in the priestly, prophetic, and kingly mission of Christ

(St. John Paul II, 1989)

The Second Plenary Council of the Philippines

(PCP II) held on January 20- February 17, 1991, was the

birth of Basic Ecclesial Community (BEC) because this

council believes that the Church as ‘communion,

2

participation, and mission about the Church as a priestly,

prophetic, and kingly people and as a Church of the poor- a

church that is renewed – is today finding expression in one

ecclesial movement. This is the moment to foster Basic

Ecclesial Communities (# 137, PCP II, 1992). This small

community of Christians is usually consists of the families

who gather together around the Word of God and the Eucharist

(#138; PCP II, 1992). Hence, family background is the

training ground for bigger leadership which is, being

involved in Parish leadership/ responsibilities.

Aside from BEC, one of the leading and existing

offices in the parish is the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC).

This is established in each parish, presided over by the

parish Priest, in which capable and chosen faithful,

together with those who participate in the pastoral care by

reason of this office in the parish, shall help in fostering

pastoral action (#240; Garcia, 1984). It was also present in

both rural and urban communities of the parish thru the

Barangay Liturgical Council (BLC). They simultaneously work,

3

and will eventually co- workers for the tremendous growth of

the Parish community.

Helping the Parish Priest in planning a particular

parochial apostolate (i.e., liturgical, pastoral,

ecological) of the Church is the primary aim of this two

existing councils. In its setting, the sectors of the

community should be represented in them in order to assure

the pastoral needs of the Church/ Parish (Garcia, 1984).

Ergo, the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP

II), in order to foster the harmonious relationship of

Barangay and Parish level of Council, the membership of the

PPC shall include, whereas possible, representatives of

various local groups (Art. 126 # 1; PCP II, 1992) which will

came from, the Barangay Liturgical Council.

1.2 Background of the Study

4

In etymological sense, ‘lay’ comes from theGreek word λαοσ (laos) meaning ‘people’. This account would

refer to any member of the People of God by the means of

their baptism. Therefore, all the faithful with the

exception of those in Holy Orders and those who belong to a

religious state approved by the Church. That is, the

faithful, who by Baptism are incorporated into Christ and

integrated into the People of God, are made sharers in their

particular way in the priestly, prophetic, and kingly office

of Christ, and have their own part to play in the mission of

the whole Christian people in the Church and in the World.”.

Everyday routine in the life of the Church is being done

with this portion of people with the help of the clergy

assigned to lead them.

The reason why the researcher intended to

conduct this study is that parishioners today (especially

the inferior ones) and even the clergy has a problem in

dealing with such Church workers in handling their

respective community. This is particularly happening in a

5

parish wherein the Lay faithful has served for many years

and the clergy assigned to them are not already oriented

with their way of life. In reality, these portions of

faithful tend to do the responsibilities of the clergy

except one thing: the Sacraments. Fame and ‘palakas’ system

towards their co- parishioners drives them to aim for

leadership in their local parish which eventually will lead

them to boast and humiliate those people inferior to them.

CHAPTER TWO:

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Hypothesis/Theoretical framework

This research will primarily deal with theoverlapping and misguided principles of the laity inside the

Catholic Church. We cannot deny the fact that there are no

6

perfect offices in the Church due to the earthly

distractions and allurements.

To fix this problem, the researcher proposed

that the Church must strive for compliance in its principles

as prescribed in the Vatican II documents “Apostolicam

Actuositatem” and “Lumen Gentium” which deals the Church in the

modern world and the apostolate of the laity inside the

Church. This is because as the Vatican II opens the fact

that there is salvation outside the Church, we must follow

what is prescribed in order for us to have the continual

grace of redemption thru the Holistic Principles: Human,

Social, Spiritual and Pastoral Principles and Discipleship mission

wherein the idealistic approach of some church workers will

be diminished inside the Church.

Philippine Church has its inferiority

during the Spanish era. This is the thing why Filipinos take

revenge to the Church after this period, to the missionaries

7

Inferiority of the Philippine Catholic Church during the Spanish Era

Misunderstanding and massive declination of the Church between the missionaries and the faithful

VATICAN II COUNCIL

Apostolicam Actuosiatem Lumen Gentium

Guiding Principles for the Lay People in Governing the Church with the Clergy

HOLISTIC PRINCIPLE DISCIPLESHIP MISSION

Harmonious relationship/ service between the clergy and the Lay Faithful in the Church

(i.e. Italian missionaries) even though it is already an

independent country from its conquerors.

2.2 Conceptual Framework

8

Harmonious relationship/ service between the clergy and the Lay Faithful in the Church

2.3 Statement of the Problem

The reality of the Catholic Church in the

Philippines is that, it consists of different flosses and

errors in its governing principles like the other Christian

sects and religions. Therefore, this study aims to discover

and answer the following questions:

1. What is the root cause of this overlapping of

responsibilities of the Lay Faithful?

2. How does it affect the other members of a particular

Church organization?

9

3. Who influenced those people to have that competitive

attitude inside the Church?

2.4 Scope and Delimitations of the Study

Since this study will focus on the present

situation of the Laity in the Philippine Catholic Church,

the coverage of this study will include the pre and post

Spanish period as well as the treatise and the Church

documents made by the Church Fathers on the Vatican II

Council.

Also, this study is limited to the

Philippine Catholic Church since this predominant religion

in the Philippines aroused the cause of misconceptions of

the responsibilities and ideals of the Lay Faithful on its

governing principles inside and outside the Church.

10

2.5 Definition of Terms

ARCHDIOCESE – the chief ecclesiastical jurisdiction in

a cluster of ecclesiastical jurisdictions called

metropolitan province.

CARDINAL - one of the most closest collaborators of the

pope and often called “Prince of the Church”

CHAPTER - the periodic gathering of superiors and

delegates of different levels of religious communities

to discuss important matters, make important decisions

and elect leaders.

DIOCESAN PRIESTS (SECULAR PRIESTS) - these are members

of the clergy who are not members of the religious

congregations and whose direct superior is the diocesan

bishop.

11

DOCTRINA - the teachings given by the friars and the

missionaries to the faithful or to those being prepared

for baptism.

ERGO - ‘therefore’

HOLY SEE - seat of Papacy, the central authority of the

Holy Roman Church.

PARISH - a division or sector of the diocese entrusted

by the bishops to a Parish Priest. The priests are

clustered into vicariates.

PATRONATO REAL - a treaty between the pope and the

Spanish Crown which gave the latter power in the choice

of bishops and in the ecclesiastical policies within

the Spanish colonial realm.

PRESBYTERAL COUNCIL – a group of priests in the

ecclesiastical jurisdiction who meet regularly and

which act as advisory body to the bishop.

SITIO - a smaller division of a barrio or barangay.

12

VISITA - same as chapel; a place other than a parish

church in a barrio where people gather to pray and hear

doctrina.

2.6 Review on Related Literature and Studies

13

One attitude that hinders lay faithful to thedeep realm of their vocation as co-workers is their being

idealistic towards the Church. They believe that they can

transform the Church only with themselves.

Idealism refers to any view that stresses the

central role of the ideal or the spiritual in man’s

interpretation of experience. It may hold that the world or

reality exists essentially as spirit or consciousness, that

abstractions and laws are more fundamental in reality than

sensory things or, at least, that whatever exists is known

to man in dimensions that are chiefly mental- through and as

ideas ( The New Encyclopedia Britannica, 1978)

A. Pre and during Spanish Era

The Filipinos during this era has already their system

of religion. They did not lack persons deputed to offer

their cult to their idols. They have some sort of a bishop

14

whom they called “Sonat” and their priests (even priestesses)

named “Catalonan”. Their role was limited to that of presiding

over the ceremonies, without taking active part in the

religious act (Fernandez, OP, 1979).

The first recorded sighting of the Philippines by

Europeans was on March 16, 1521, during Ferdinand

Magellan's circumnavigation of the globe. Magellan landed

on Cebu, claimed the land for Charles I of Spain, and was

killed one month later by a local chief. The Spanish crown

sent several expeditions to the archipelago during the next

decades. Permanent Spanish settlement was finally

established in 1565 when Miguel López de Legazpi, the first

royal governor, arrived in Cebu from New Spain (Mexico).

Six years later, after defeating a local Muslim ruler, he

established his capital at Manila, a location that offered

the excellent harbor of Manila Bay, a large population, and

proximity to the ample food supplies of the central Luzon

rice lands. Manila remained the center of Spanish civil,

military, religious, and commercial activity in the

15

islands. The islands were given their present name in honor

of Philip II of Spain, who reigned from 1556 to 1598. (The

Early Spanish Period,

http://countrystudies.us/philippines/4.htm)

The Spaniards has no difficulty in converting the

Filipino pagans into Christianity because of the Patronato

Real. This is possible thru the Spanish Crown and its

representatives in the Indies had always exercised great

influence over the Church thru this agreement, under the

Hapsburgs of the Sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the

influence was mutual, for the kings took seriously their

role as promoter of the Catholic Faith throughout their

dominions (Schumacher, SJ. 2009). The baptism into

Catholicism did not stop the pagans to stay in their

religion. However, once baptism had been accepted,

stringent measures could be taken to stamp out clandestine

paganism in a village, destroying pagan images and other

ritual paraphernalia, and even using corporal punishment on

the guilty parties (Delgado, SJ, 1892). Hence, traumatic

16

experience imbibed Filipinos within themselves which caused

them to revolt towards the Spaniards.

The slavery was already a social problem in the

Philippines when the missionaries came to proclaim the

gospel. Probably, King Philip II of Spain ordered the

Governor General of Manila on May 18, 1572 to prepare a

report on the slaves in the country including the causes and

the system of enslavement. The clergy, for their part, held

a chapter on October 16, 1581 in the Augustinian convent in

Tondo to solve the moral problems occasioned by the

governor’s decision. Present were, besides the bishop, some

representatives of the religious orders. (Fernandez, OP,

1979) During the 19th Century climate of though in which

Catholicism, appeared as normative for entering the dominant

attitudes of 19th Century missionaries (Schumacher, SJ,

2009). In this scenario is the entrance of the other

missionaries who are not Friars. This is now the occasion

wherein Filipinos will take revenge to the Catholic Church.

17

Entrances to the priesthood of the Indios were

even questioned at that time, as well as their

administrations of the parishes. But in other words, the

Spaniards did not oppose at all the entrance of Indios

into the priesthood, but as in all the other institutions

with royal statutes, the Bishop De la Cuesta gave

preference to the Spaniards. And here, no doubt, is the

reason why the provincial bishop or administrators were

mere generous in ordaining Indios, or in giving

dimissorial letters so that the archbishops could ordain

them (Schumacher, SJ, 2009)

B. Post Spanish Era

After the Christianization of the Spaniards in

the Philippines, massive declination and revenge of the

Filipinos to the Catholic Church occurred in this era. The

problem of the relations between government and religious

organizations in the Philippines is of a peculiar type.

18

For several hundred years the Roman Catholic Church and

the state have been so closely intertwined in the islands

as to be inseparable to the eye of the ordinary man. The

church question has been above all things a question of

politics. (Henry Parker Willis, “The Church problem,", 1905,

http://www.philippinehistory.net/1905willis.htm). The Church merely

reflected the cruelty of humankind. It had elected to

become a political organization, and as such, was neither

better nor worse than other political organizations. It

would be unjust to the Church to suggest that because it

had become a political institution it ceased to have any

spiritual significance. (Walker, 1962)

The power of the church derived not simply from

wealth and official status. The priests and friars had a

command of local languages rare among the lay Spanish, and

in the provinces they outnumbered civil officials. Thus,

they were an invaluable source of information to the

colonial government. The cultural goal of the Spanish

clergy was nothing less than the full Christianization and

19

http://www.philippinehistory.net/1905willis.htm

Hispanization of the Filipino. In the first decades of

missionary work, local religions were vigorously

suppressed; old practices were not tolerated. But as the

Christian laity grew in number and the zeal of the clergy

waned, it became increasingly difficult to prevent the

preservation of ancient beliefs and customs under Roman

Catholic garb. Thus, even in the area of religion, pre-

Spanish Filipino culture was not entirely destroyed.

(Philippines: the Spanish Period, Encyclopedia Britannica,

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/456399/Philippines/23714/The-

Spanish-period). But rather, this is the start of the

idealistic attitude of the Lay Filipino Catholic who are

in positions to think for the reformation of the Catholic

Church with their own capabilities while the missionary

clergy inferior to them.

The American invasion in the Philippines gave

opportunity to the Filipinos to decline the Catholic

Church thru engaging them to their sects and Christian

denomination. Their occupation here in 1898 generated

20

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/456399/Philippines/23714/The-Spanish-period


spontaneous response among different segments of the

American people, and voice was given to both the pros and

cons of permanently acquiring the archipelago. The

expansionist policy of the United States and the course

that should be taken by the government came under

scrutiny. Religious groups formed part of the "audience"

whose visions were immediately focused overseas upon the

Philippines. The Catholic minority in the United States

felt that it had a larger share in the question because of

the predominant Catholic population in the Philippines.

(Evangelista, 1965) This scenario continues when the

Japanese came in the Philippines.

C. VATICAN II COUNCIL up to present Era

Various dogmatic constitutions and exhortations werebeing made in the Vatican II Council held in 1962 opened by

St. John XXIII and ended in 1965 by Pope Paul VI.

21

Before the Council in 1962, the Church merely reflected

the “cruelty of mankind”( Walker, 1962). It had elected to

become a political organization, and as such, was neither

better nor worse than other political organizations because

of the pyramidcal hierarchy. It would be unjust to the

Church to suggest that because it had become a political

instution it ceased to have any spiritual significance.

According to the Apostolic Constitution “Apostolicam

Actuositatem”, the Church insists that apostolic formation

of lay Catholics is a right and a duty. They consider a few

of the most obvious answers.

First, most lay Catholics remain unaware of their role in

the Church’s mission and of their apostolic dignity. They

delineate a number of underlying reasons:

Catholics widely assume that only the ordained have an official role in the

Church and in the Church’s mission. The great attention

paid to the question of who should be ordained

signifies this fact. We must accept that, however

22

ironic, the post-conciliar Church harbors a marked

tendency to clericalism.

Most Catholics experience the parish according to a pre-conciliar

paradigm: the parish existing in order to offer the

laity the spiritual goods of the Church. That the

parish is a “stable community of the faithful,” with

its own part in the mission of the Church to the world,

does not enter into the experience of most Catholics.

The mission of the Church to the world has not yet been sufficiently

proposed to most Catholics. Despite the constant teaching of

our popes and bishops. It is rarely preached and little

experienced by parishioners in our local communities.

Popular culture renders all belief a matter of individual and subjective

preference. Catholics think it wrong to proselytize. They

therefore hold the mission of the Church to the world

23

suspect. Such suspicion particularly holds true in the

West.

The secular role of laity in the Church has been largely ignored; the

most that has been achieved is lay participation in

delegated pastoral and liturgical ministries in the

parish.

On the other hand, the Apostolic Constitution “Lumen

Gentium” would stress that the Church, whose mystery is

being set forth by this Sacred Synod, is believed to be

indefectibly holy. Indeed Christ, the Son of God, who with

the Father and the Spirit is praised as "uniquely holy,”

loved the Church as His bride, delivering Himself up for

her. He did this that He might sanctify her. He united her

to Himself as His own body and brought it to perfection by

the gift of the Holy Spirit for God's glory. Therefore in

the Church, everyone whether belonging to the hierarchy, or

being cared for by it, is called to holiness, according to

24

the saying of the Apostle: "For this is the will of God,

your sanctification".

Holiness does not entail to be pious enough or

prayerful enough inside and outside the Church. But it

entails “holistic” attitude of one’s self: courtesy in

speaking and dealing with the people around them and most

especially, unselfish giving of self to the needs of others

provided that they may learn from them. In other words, as

he/ she loves and gives importance to Christ, he/ she must

do the same in the Church, his “Spiritual Bride” here on

earth.

The newly canonized Saint, John Paul II would tell us

in his various encyclicals, letters and exhortations that

people today need to turn to Christ once again in order to

receive from him the answer to their questions about what is

good and what is evil. He sheds light on man’s condition and

in his integral vocation. (Veritatis Splendor, 1995) Also,

he stressed that lay faithful must not entreat themselves as

25

an object displayed in the church buildings, but rather,

they must have an ever- clearer consciousness of being the

church itself. (Christifideles Laici, 1989)

In Benedict XVI’s encyclical letter “Deus Caritas

Est.”, he said and quoted: “Being a Christian is not the

result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the

encounter with an event, a person, which gives life, a new

horizon and a decisive direction”. It is God’s love that

made a person a Christian; by this, in his/her baptism,

he/she continues to share the threefold mission of Christ as

Priest, King and a prophet.

There are also vast challenges and opportunities the

present pontificate has found inside the Church. Pope

Francis would tell us in his latest Apostolic Exhortation

“Evangelii Gaudium” the affected ministries in the Church

due to the social changes made by the wrong connotations and

understandings of the Lay people in governing the Church.

26

One being affected is the youth ministry, the ‘future’ of

the Catholic Church. This ministry, according to him, has

also suffered the impact of social changes. Young people

often fail to find responses to their concerns, needs,

problems, and hurts in the usual structures. As adults, we

find them hard to listen patiently to them, to appreciate

their concerns and demands, and to speak to them in a

language they can understand (Pope Francis, 2013). But above

all these things, the pope did not offer a complete

diagnosis, but invite and challenge the communities to

complete and enrich these perspectives on the basis of their

awareness of the challenges facing them and their neighbors.

He also warns us “Almost without being aware of it, we end

up being incapable of feeling compassion at the outcry of

the poor, weeping for other people’s pain, and feel a need

to help them, as though all this were someone else’s

responsibility and not our own. The culture of prosperity

deadens us; we are thrilled if the market offers us

something new to purchase. In the meantime all those lives

27

stunted for lack of opportunity seem a mere spectacle; they

fail to move us. (Evangelii Gaudium, 54).

Ergo, it is in the hands of the members of the Catholic

Church, in every sector and state of life where they

belongs, how the discipleship mission, as Christ who walked

on this earth showed to the apostles will be carried out so

that aside from having harmonious relationship inside the

Church.

28

CHAPTER THREE:

METHODOLOGY

The following chapter presents the methodology beingused by the researcher in the study. This will help the

readers to fully understand the study thru the simple

presentation of processes that helped the researcher to

improve the flow of the ideas, facts, and data analysis

presented here. On the other hand, it also contains the

29

design, the method used, instrumentation, the locale of the

study, data gathering procedure and the interpretation.

3.1 Research Design/ Method

The researcher chose the descriptive method of research

since it deals with the principles and guidelines for the

Catholic Lay Faithful in Governing the Church. This is

applicable because it aims to develop the topic that will

sooner or later help to formulate other experiments and

researches in relation to the topic presented. The basis and

development that will appear in this paper might be a way

towards another experiment/ study that will deal on the

other misconceptions on the principles of the Filipino

Catholic Lay Faithful in governing the Church.

On the other hand, he also used the historical approach

of method since it conveys its cause from the invasion of

30

the Spaniards up to the Vatican II Council. This approach

also helped the researcher in looking for the problem thru

the chronological events happened in the Philippine setting

of the Catholic Church up to the present era.

3.2 Respondents

The researcher’s questionnaire was administered by 20

Orientandi seminarians of the Oblates of Saint Joseph

College Seminary and 10 parishioners of Saint James the

Greater Parish, Ibaan, Batangas. The questionnaire was

answered within the first semester of the Academic Year

2014-2015.

3.3 Research Locale

This research was performed and made at the Oblates of

Saint Joseph College Seminary, Bo. Marawoy, Lipa City 4217

31

Philippines during the first semester of the Academic Year

2014-2015.

3.4 Sampling Technique

The researcher made 10 questionnaires which will be

answered by checking always, sometimes, often, seldom, or

never with regards to the question provided and their

preference. He deemed it to have 20 respondents from the

orientation department and 10 parishioners from Saint James

the Greater Parish, Ibaan, Batangas. Also, the researcher

made some inquiry with the clergy with regards to the

commentaries on the encyclicals and exhortation from the

Popes. He also utilized the books, journals and the internet

in order for the reader to fully understand the study.

http://www.cbcpnews.com/papalvisit/?

page_id=470

32

CHAPTER FOUR:

ANALYSIS, PRESENTATION AND INTERPRETATION OFDATA

In this chapter, the researcher in this chapter

interprets, presents and analyzes the information gathered

from the answer of the respondents particularly the

seminarians of the Oblates of Saint Joseph College Seminary

and the parishioners from Saint James the Greater Parish,

Ibaan, Batangas regarding the misconceptions of the laity on

its governing principles in governing the Church.

Table 1. I am an active Church Worker.

Answers Frequency Percentage

Always 15 50%

Often 6 20%

Sometimes 5 16.66666%

Seldom 4 13.33333%

Never 0 0

34

This table shows the frequency and percentage

distribution of the respondents according to the

questionnaire presented by the researcher. Most of the

seminarian and parishioner respondents replied that they

always activate and engaging themselves as a Church Worker.

This only proves that they wholeheartedly giving themselves

as volunteer workers of the Church.

Table 2. I was being scolded by the ‘manangs’ for their own personal reasons


Always 10 33.33333%

Often 9 30%


Seldom 4 13.33333%

Never 0 0

35

In this table, most of the respondents replied that

they are always being scolded by the ‘manangs’ for their own

personal reasons (i.e. personal conflict, anger). This only

shows that ‘manangs’ outwardly engaging themselves in

superiority over the people around the Church. This affects

the behavior of those people whom they are scolding and

leads them not to hold or even engage themselves in holding

Church responsibilities.

Table 3. I see overlapping responsibilities with the parishworkers and the Clergy assigned to us.


Always 25 83.33333%

Often 1 3.33333%

Sometimes 3 10%

Seldom 0 0

36

Never 1 3.33333%

The table shows that most of the respondents see

overlapping responsibilities with the parish workers and the

clergy assigned to them. This is visibly manifested in those

parishes wherein there are new (ordained) clergy assigned to

them and there are Church workers serving in the parish for

more than 10 years. The irrevocable opinion of theirs

sometimes affects the jurisdiction of the clergy that will

make them superior over them.

37

Table 4. Our Social Studies lesson in my Elementary andHigh School days gives me an idea of the past and the

present effects of the situation of the Catholic Church.


Always 6 20%

Often 11 36.66666%


Seldom 2 6.66666%

Never 3 10%

The table 4 shows that most of the respondents

oftentimes the Social studies gave them an idea of the past

and present effects of the situation of the Catholic Church

in the Philippines. Here, the primary idea of the Spaniards’

colonization and not the Christianization of the country

gave them vast ideas why the Revolutionary Filipino sought

revenge to the Church by massively declination of the Church

during the American and Japanese period.

38

Table 5. I see monopoly and competition in various Churchorganization and responsibilities.


Always 10 33.33333%

Often 6 20%


Seldom 5 16.66666%

Never 4 13.33333%

Most of the respondents answered that they always see

monopoly and competition in various Church organization and

responsibilities. Some of them said that merely fame and

‘palakas’ system drives those people to compete with their

39

co- workers in the offices in the Church. But at the end,

all are fair in their respective responsibilities inside the

Church.

Table 6. I merely see serving in the Church as a ‘job’ and not as a ‘vocation’.


Always 1 3.33333%

Often 1 3.33333%


Seldom 6 20%

40

Never 20 66.66666%

The respondents mostly answered that they never look

serving in the church as a ‘job’ but as a ‘vocation’ by

66.66666%. it is good to see that there are people who are

not only active workers in the Church but they zealously do

by heart their job because they know that they serve the one

who called them, which is Christ and not those people

ridiculing them by what they are doing.

41

Table 7. My present situation as seminarian leads me tobetter intention with my local community. (This question is intended only for the seminarians)


Always 15 75%

Often 1 5%

Sometimes 3 15%

Seldom 1 5%

Never 0 0

Among the seminarians, 75% of them said that their

present situation as seminarian leads them to better

intention with the local community where they belong. Maybe,

some of them are not ready enough for the responsibilities

but the majority of them believe that their stay and studies

inside the seminary will be a great help to their respective

local community.

42

Table 8. I am also idealistic in aiming for the renewal of the Church.


Always 3 10%

Often 5 16.66666%


Seldom 12 40%

Never 8 26.66666%

Among the seminarian and parishioner respondents, 40%

of them are saying that they are seldom in becoming

idealistic in aiming for the renewal of the Church. It is

the fact that all of us want a renewal for the Church. And

43

it will not be removed in the mind of the people their

perspective of a systematized Church of their choice.

Table 9. I am also scolding those who are inferior to me atthe parish with my own reasons as well.


Always 2 6.66666%

Often 4 13.33333%


Seldom 8 26.66666%

Never 6 20%

44

Table 9 presents that 33.33333% of the respondents also

scolding those who are inferior to them due to their own

reasons as well. They are once influenced by the ‘manangs’

to take up their right of becoming a part of the Church,

most especially, if they have offices but the reality is to

boost up their high ego among them.

Table 10. I want to become a priest to show the basic idealsof Christ

45

(This question is intended only for the seminarians)


Always 17 85%

Often 3 15%

Sometimes 0 0

Seldom 0 0

Never 0 0

Among the 20 seminarians, 85% of them want to become a

priest to show the basic ideals of Christ. It is good to

know that there are seminarians who has the heart of

becoming a holy and obedient priest that will outwardly show

the holistic and discipleship mission, as Christ himself

showed us when he ‘walked on this earth’.

46

CHAPTER FIVE:

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The researcher has come to the end of his research. In

this chapter, he will represent the Summary, Conclusion, as

well as the Recommendations for the study. Here also will

appear the possible development and an opportunity for

formulation of other experiments and researches in relation

to the topic presented.

5.1 Summary

The Filipino Catholic Lay Faithful truly plays a vital

role inside the Catholic Church in its everyday life. The

laity is all the faithful, with the exception of those in

Holy Orders and those who belong to a religious state

47

approved by the Church. That is, the faithful, who by

Baptism are incorporated into Christ and integrated into the

People of God, are made sharers in their particular way in

the priestly, prophetic, and kingly office of Christ, and

have their own part to play in the mission of the whole

Christian people in the Church and in the World.”

We cannot deny the fact that being a Filipino Catholic,

we are deeply uprooted on what our ancestors believed. They

combined Catholicism and paganism that resulted to the

occult to rise, but still, they believe in God whom the

Spanish introduced to us way back in 1521. This is one of

the results of the informal evangelization to the Spaniards.

The aim of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the

Philippines in this year of the Laity: to have this form of

the evangelization that will fit for today’s generation

especially to the youth. The twentieth century took the

Church long to recover from the traumatic events of the

revolution with the departure of the Spaniards and the

declination of the Aglipayan schism. The Filipinos seek

48

revenge to them when the American and the Japanese came by

massively decline the Church and going to the other sects

and Christian Denominations offered by the Americans hoping

that they will find the true faith.

5.2 Summary of the Findings

The questionnaires being given to the respondents’

shows that it only proves that there are flosses in the

Philippine Catholic Church on its different offices between

the clergy and the lay people. And by its results, it is

hereby that there must be an adequate ‘re- orientation’ and

‘re- integration’ of the particular apostolate and

responsibility of the laity as stated in the VATICAN II’s

two Apostolic Constitutions’ “Apostolicam Actuositatem” and

“Lumen Gentium”. Also, both the laity and the clergy must

bear in mind that the Holy Spirit is the center of the

Church’s life; in other ways, the spirit is the ‘soul of the

Body of Christ’. Therefore, it is not by their own very self

49

the renewal must be executed but rather, they are the

flowing grace of the spirit in the Catholic Church.

5.3 Conclusion

We had come to the conclusion. Fortunately, the answer

at the questionnaires presented proves that there are truly

laity’s misconceptions in its governing principles inside

the Church. We cannot deny the fact that it sprouted during

the era of the Spaniards due to their primary colonization

of the country. Other Catholics remain in the faith but

became idealistic in governing the Church even at the point

for the clergy, especially the new ones to become inferior.

But one thing is sure. The Vatican II offered us two

Apostolic Constitutions namely: “Apostolicam Actuositatem”

and “Lumen Gentium” wherein we will find the qualifications

for Holistic Principles: Human, Social, Spiritual and Pastoral

Principles and discipleship mission that will help us in

dealing with the challenges of following Christ in the

50

modern world. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the

Philippines urges the laity to sustain and strengthen us in our

efforts; they urge us to read the BIBLE, God’s written word. We

must read it not only to study it but pray with it. When

read prayerfully, the Bible will nourish our life. It will

be a lamp to guide us in your journey. It will help us

resist temptations; it will help us to know and follow Jesus

Christ, our Lord.

Second, they urge us to have recourse to the

SACRAMENTS. Value our baptism and prepare well for the

baptism of our children. Let parents take seriously the

responsibility they undertook at baptism to raise up their

children as good Christians.

51

5.4 Recommendations

This study has just ended. And I hereby all recommend

this research for reading and study. We will see the beauty

of the Church amidst of its imperfections and disabilities

among its leaders by not looking at it idealistically. We

must bear in mind that Christianization was not merely an

acceptance of the demands for baptism. However, it would be

an ongoing process, leading to a mature faith (Schumacher,

SJ, 2009) as we hold responsibilities inside the Church,

together with the clergy. The Church always gives us

opportunities to be part of it. It is in our hands how we

will execute it properly as they give us the guiding

principles in governing the Church at the Vatican II two

apostolic constitutions: “Apostolicam Actuositatem” and

“Lumen Gentium”. It is recommended for the next researchers

to add more on the American and Japanese period because the

52

Catholic Church in the Philippines, despite in its

declination during the Spanish era, did not stop from its

existence. In fact, for some, it played an important role in

this two defining periods in history.

APPENDIX:

A. Letter to the Respondents:

September 19, 2014

53

Name of Respondent: _____________________________________

Year Level: _____________________________________________

Dear Respondent:

Peace!

I, the undersigned is a Writing in the Discipline student at the Oblatesof Saint Joseph College of Philosophy, Marawoy, Lipa City and presentlyconducting a study entitled “Called to be Saints: a descriptive study onmisconceptions of the Filipino Lay Faithful on its governing principlesinside the Catholic Church”.

Today’s status of the Catholic Church in the Philippines is somewhatalarming in its decreasing number of population each year. One reason whyhe chose the study is because the researcher saw that this is one of themajor problems why some catholic faithful declines the Catholic Churchand moving to the other sects and denominations around the country. Thisstudy will benefit the lay people, most especially in the offices in aparticular community to deeply understand the promulgated principles andguidelines imposed by the Church in the Vatican II documents “ApostolicamActuositatem” and “Lumen Gentium”.

In line with this, the researcher is requesting you to participate inthis study by answering and completing the questionnaire attached here.Your participation in the study will be a great help in conveying thebasic problems of the lay people inside the Church.

The information you will provide in this study will be strictlyconfidential. If you have questions and violent reactions, feel free toapproach or contact the researcher. God bless you more in abundance!

In Saint Joseph,

________________________________Sem. Mark Daryl O. GuerraResearcher

54

B.QUESTIONNAIRE:

NB: Kindly check the Specific table provided for each question according to your preference.

Always

Sometimes

Often Seldom Never

1. I am an active Church Worker

2. I am always being scolded by the ‘manangs’ for their own personalreasons

3. I see overlapping responsibilities with the parish workers and the Clergy assigned tous.

4. Our Social Studieslesson in my Elementary and High School days gives me an idea of the past and the present effects of the situation of the

55

Catholic Church.

5. I see monopoly andcompetition in various Church organization and responsibilities.

6. I merely see serving in the Church as a ‘job’ and not as a ‘vocation’.

7. My present situation as seminarian leads me to better intention with my local community.

8. I am also idealistic in aiming for the renewal of the Church.

9. I am also scoldingthose who are inferior to me at the parish with myown reason as well.

10. I want to becomea priest to show the basic ideals of Christ.

56

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

A. BOOKS

Archdiocese of Lipa. “The Century of Faith”. Manila: ABS-CBN Publishing House, 2012.

Benedict XVI, Pope. “Deus Caritas Est”. Makati City: Daughter of St. Paul, 2005.

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. “The Second Plenary Council of the Philippines”. Manila: Word and Life Publications, 1992

Del Portillo, Alvaro. “Faithful and the Laity in the Church”.Shannon, Ireland: Ecclesia Press, 1972.

Delgado, Juan J., SJ.” Historia general sacro- profana, politica y natural de las Islas Del Poniente Ilamados Filipinas”. Manila: Biblioteca Historica Filipina, 1892

Evangelista, Oscar L.”Religious problems in the Philippines and the American Catholic Church, 1898-1907”. Manila: National Bookstore Inc., 1965

Fernandez, Pablo, OP. “History of the Church in the Philippines”. Manila: National Bookstore Inc., 1979

Francis, Pope. “Evangelii Gaudium”. Makati City: Daughters of St. Paul, 2013

58

Garcia, Excelso, OP. “Guide for the Catholic Lay Faithful (According to the 1983 Code of Canon Law)”. Manila: UST Printing Office, 1984

Mercado, Leonardo N., SVD. “Essays on Filipino Philosophy”. Manila: Logos Publications, 2005

______________________. “Filipino Religious Psychology”. Tacloban City: Philippines. Divine Word UniversityPublications, 1977

Schumacher, John N., SJ. “Growth and Decline: Essays on Philippine Church History”. Quezon City: Ateneo De ManilaUniversity Press, 2009

St. John Paul II. “Christifideles Laici”. Makati City: Daughters of St. Paul,1989

____________. “Ut Unun Sint”. Makati City: Daughters of St. Paul, 1993

____________. “Veritatis Splendor”. Makati City: Daughters of St. Paul, 1995

VATICAN II. “Lumen Gentium”. Makati City: Daughtersof St. Paul, 1984

___________. “Apostolicam Actuositatem”: Makati City. Daughters of St. Paul, 1984

Walker, Kenneth. “Diagnosis of Man”. Mitchen, Victoria: Penguin Books Inc.,1962

B. ELECTRONIC REFERENCES

59

http://countrystudies.us/philippines/4.htm


http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/456399/ Philippines/23714/The-Spanish-period

C. ENCYCLOPEDIAS AND DICTIONARIES

“Idealism”. The New Encyclopedia Britannica, USA: University of Chicago 1978

D. JOURNALS/ MAGAZINES

Alkonga, Ronulfo, OSJ. “The Lay as Co- Workers in the OSJ Apostolate”. The Marellian Today. Year 7, No. 14. December 2005

CURRICULUM VITAE

PERSONAL DATA

Name: Mark Daryl Ocampo Guerra

60




http://countrystudies.us/philippines/4.htm

Address: 027 Lapu- lapo, Ibaan, Batangas; Oblates of Saint Joseph College Seminary- 4217 Marawoy, Lipa City

Birth: October 21, 1996

Age: 18 years old

Nationality: Filipino

Status Single (Seminarian)

Parents: Mr. Rogelio Aala Guerra (+)

Mrs. Ethelma Ocampo Guerra

EDUCATION

Kindergarten: Our Lady of Grace Formation School

Elementary: Ibaan Central School

Secondary: Dr. Juan A. Pastor Memorial National High School/ Oblates of St. Joseph Minor Seminary

Tertiary: Oblates of Saint Joseph CollegeSeminary, Oblates of Saint Joseph College of Philosophy

61

Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam!2014

63

CALLED TO BE SAINTS: A DESCRIPTIVE AND HISTORICAL RESEARCH ON THE MISCONCEPTIONS OF THE FILIPINO...

Documents

Transcript of CALLED TO BE SAINTS: A DESCRIPTIVE AND HISTORICAL RESEARCH ON THE MISCONCEPTIONS OF THE FILIPINO...