Are We to Blame for Graft and Corruption?

In Europe, hundreds of Catholic churches have been abandoned and left to ruins. Why? People have grown tired of the homilies which, instead of liberating, Europeans find nauseating. Icons have been smashed to smithereens because Europeans found Catholicism preaching a quite contrary doctrine than what is written in the holy scriptures. There are a few places in Europe where you could find a sizeable Catholic population, which I found to be quite sad since Europe once served as the bastion of Christianity in olden times. In fact, many missionaries who spread Christianity came from that part of the world.

In the United States, hundreds have abandoned their churches. Americans have outgrown their fancy of this religion. People are flocking to other Christian sects, despite campaigns by the church to invigorate the faith of the laity. Priests have been arrested by the state because of sexual harassment or embezzlement of funds.

Of course in Asia, Catholicism is also on the wane. Only two countries remain locked in the tight grip of Catholicism--the Philippines and a former Indonesian territory (I forgot the name). Catholicism remain strong in this country because this religion still exerts quite a strong hold over government and property. Yes, the Catholic Church remains the second biggest haciendero in this country, second of course to the state. They also own several corporations and stocks in major Philippine corporations. That's why they are still so influential here.

Since 2001, the Catholic Church has been looking for ways to increase their relevance in the lives of the Filipino. However, despite their efforts, thousands of Filipinos change religion everyday because whatever the Church does, the people don't seem to care about them anymore.

The Philippines is an important and strategic country for Catholicism because it is the only country in Asia where they can say, for certainty, that they still exert a majority hold in its population. Many Filipinos remain slaves of this religion. However, I do believe that in a few years time, the number of Catholics will slowly dwindle here. Why?

The Catholic church here is beginning to be like the Padre Damasos of Jose Rizal's novels. Look at what the CBCP said today--they are maintaining a critical collaboration stance with the Arroyo administration. What's worst, they even blamed the people for the rampant graft and corruption happening in this country. Imagine, the prelators of the Faith blaming their own flock for the increasing moral destruction of Filipino society? I thought that they are the exemplars of the moral code? I thought that it is their responsibility to preach and lead us to the right direction?

How things have changed since the death of Cardinal Jaime Sin. If the good cardinal is alive today, he definitely would not allow the Church to go to bed with the devil. These bishops should be ashamed of this. They have allowed themselves to be prostituted for a few gold and silver coins of the temptress of power.