I cannot believe that even Cardinal Ricardo Vidal together with Bishop Angel Lagdameo, President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) would go down to the level of worldly and political affairs by joining in a (prayer) rally of the Silent Majority Movement. Whatever is their intention, it would have been prudent on their part not to “add insult to injury” to the eroding image of the Philippines in the international community.

Once again, the Church is going political rather than spiritual. The 1987 Constitution explicitly provides that “the separation of the Church and State shall be inviolable” (Article II, Section 6). The provision does not only call for the Philippine government to refrain from interfering into the ecclesiastical affairs of the Church but it clearly mandates our religious leaders to ceased from meddling into secular affairs of the State. Election and other related government undertakings such as artificial contraception, media and film censorship, and constitutional amendments are political and secular issues that the church must refrain from intervening. A government that is truly dependent on the opinion and pastoral letters of the bishops and priests will never mature both politically and economically. If the government continually listens to the church’s position on artificial contraception then population explosion and ultimately poverty will likely fall upon its people. Politicians who continue to sell their office to the votes of the “Church of Rome”, Iglesia ni “M” or Cristo and other religious organizations will forever be stock within the cocoon of religious values and antiquated traditions and teachings. The Philippine government like the rest of Latin American countries will never see the light of economic prosperity unless there is political will to untangle the knot of religious influence and fanaticism. History will tell us that almost all countries invaded by Spain and indoctrinated by Catholic teachings has remained underdeveloped (or still belong to the Third World category). While those under the umbrella of the “King of London” have progressed into an industrialized nations. Most countries whose citizens are highly Catholic and whose government is under the “skirt” of religious traditions are until now fighting for economic survival within the international market. The Philippines, Mexico, Ecuador, El Salvador, Paraguay, Brazil, Panama, Peru, Argentina, to name a few (even Poland in Europe) are among the nations imprisoned within the “holy concept of religious guilt”. In all situations, corrupt Catholics mostly infest those countries whose government believes in the idea of religious conscience. Italy, who is once the seat of Catholic religiousness (before Rome became an independent nation), no longer boasts of devotion within their historic and beautiful churches and seminaries. There are no doubts that Italy’s cathedrals and basilicas have the most magnificent architecture in the world (to say the least) yet they’re almost empty of parishioners and churchgoers. What’s wrong with Catholicism and religion in general? The Church’s teaching on the preferential option for the poor is beyond any question. But are we giving enough attention and action to realize this program? Do we ever have a lifestyle check of our bishops and priests? Any on the spot survey of the Philippine bishops’ assets will reveal that some of our beloved religious leaders are living an affluent lifestyle (which is contrary to Christ’s teaching on simplicity). This is not only true to Catholics, look at the founder of Iglesia ni Cristo, El Shaddai Movement and Brother Eddie Villanueva and any religion for that matter. All the founders and leaders have become so rich that I am inclined to conclude that the greatest business in the world is religion. The Church has always played a major role in almost every political crisis in the Philippines thereby creating a societal paranoia that to win in an election and overcome the opposition; the bishops and religious leaders should be within the incumbent’s “shoulders and shoes”. Hence, every Filipino politician who wins the election and overcame every crisis is in debt of gratitude to the Church. It is this debt of gratitude that inhibit every president to execute and every lawmaker to legislate liberally. Is Karl Marx then right is saying, “Religion is the opium of the people”?