THANKS be to God, every year there are priests being ordained in many dioceses all over the world. In our country, in spite of problems and difficulties, we have quite a number of ordinations. This is, indeed, a true blessing from God!
Every time I attend one, I can not help but reflect on priesthood, once described by Pope John Paul II as both a gift and mystery.
Either as a gift or as a mystery, priesthood immediately transmits to the mind that it is something tremendous, something overwhelming. Personally, it leaves me frozen in deep awe.
Priesthood, no matter how trivialized and devalued in a certain culture or person, makes Christ present in the flesh now. An exaggeration? I don’t know. But after doing some math and supplying the missing parts of the equation, that’s what I get.
Everyone, of course, with his baptism is conformed to Christ. He is “alter Christus,” another Christ, if not “ipse Christus,” Christ himself. But there is something more mystical in a priest’s being another Christ.
With the sacrament of Holy Orders, the priest is not just conformed to Christ in any way. He is conformed to Christ as head of the Church. He has certain powers other Christians do not have.
A priest acts in the name and person of Christ, with the authority of Christ who came on earth with the sole purpose of saving man, reconciling him with our father God. He brings about human salvation, which ultimately is a spiritual and supernatural event.
For this, Christ did many things that culminated in his passion, death and resurrection. It is for these things that the priest has to lend everything he has—his body and soul—to Christ. Christ wants it that way. A priest has to want it because of Christ.
That’s why a priest is Christ in the flesh. In his ordination, he has to realize deeply that he, like Christ, should be willing to go all the way, even offering his life on the Cross. He should be willing to be crucified, considering it as the culmination of his priesthood.
That’s why, it overpowers me to think of the kind of spiritual life a priest should cultivate to be able to come to this realization. This is the reality of priesthood. A priest has to bridge the gap between the objective and subjective aspects of his priestly identity.
A priest has to pray always. He has to have the mind of Christ, and to replicate Christ’s very sentiments and passions. Indeed, he has to echo St. Paul’s “It is no longer who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal 2,20)
So a priest who cares little for his spiritual life, and who understands his state simply as a matter of exercising a profession like any other, easily becoming a bureaucrat, a performer, etc., is making a big mistake. And he necessarily harms others severely.
That’s why everything has to be done to keep a priest’s spiritual life vibrant, since the spiritual life is the most delicate thing to govern. St. Gregory the Great once said that governing souls is the art of arts.
This is because every man is a universe of possibilities, both good and bad. He is capable of going up and down anytime, of going to extremes and through endless combinations of both good and bad possibilities.
A priest should be humble enough to acknowledge his nothingness and helplessness so as to seek all the assistance he needs—to go to spiritual direction, confession, recourse to sacraments, to study, to have a plan of life, etc.
He has to be sincere, completely transparent to his director and confessor. Once he has this indispensable sincerity, then he opens himself to all God’s graces and the means available in the Church.
This way, it is easy for him to reach out to other priests and to all people. He gets strengthened. A lonely priest is a dangerous anomaly, a disaster waiting to happen.
A priest should be what he preaches, celebrates and administers, and that can only be Christ, Christ crucified! Pray for priests.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Market-driven morality
THIS came to my mind when a group of friends, all laymen and professionals working in different fields, talked about developments in the economy here and abroad.
They were amazed at the rate China is developing and at how it is fabricating imitation products whose quality varies according to price, material used, expected lifespan of the item, etc.
The Chinese, they said, can also produce high-quality copies that can last. But, of course, they will be more expensive than the usual ones that last only for a month or two. Still, they are much cheaper than the original, and can be a real good buy.
I remember that some years ago, in preparation for my ordination in Rome, I went to buy a new pair of shoes. When I saw a pair that I liked, I asked the saleslady if that pair would last long. She immediately retorted, “But why do you like it to last long?”
I took a double take before I could process what she just said. It went frontally against how I was brought up. I tried my best not to look third-worldly. I was not sure whether I succeeded.
Anyway, I just bought the pair because it was within budget—beggars cannot be choosers. But the retort of the clerk lingered long in my mind. As it turned out, the shoes were good only for a few uses.
Now, I can understand why there is need for products to move fast in the market. I have to apologize to my parents and elders, because I think there’s also a reason why products should not be made to last very long.
Business needs to go at a fast clip, so money circulation can get faster, employment can also go up, especially giving room to our creative minds who never run out of new ideas and styles. All these are good for the economy.
Besides, there are people, like the yuppies, who like to change styles very often and who can afford. In other words, there is demand or market for it, especially considering the growing population and improving economy.
And there’s the expected over-all effect that such dynamism will lend vitality and modernity to our society. That’s the upside.
The downside is that this market-driven behavior undermines one’s conscience, giving the impression nothing is permanent and absolute, everything changes and is relative, and leading people to materialism, consumerism, etc., all against the Christian virtue of poverty and detachment.
It takes away our soul’s moorings. It can harm the spiritual character and supernatural tone of our thoughts, words and deeds. Our attitudes can suffer serious damage, as they lose their linkage with God and his law.
All these can come about because in a market-driven economy, the tendency is only for external, purely social and economic values to be considered.
The finer values are often omitted. The work of one’s conscience is skipped, while the impulses of the hormones and emotions, and the play of the blind market forces are given full rein.
This is something which we should try to avoid always. In grappling with our material needs, we should never ignore the important role played by our conscience.
Our conscience is that judgment we make to determine whether a choice we
are making is good or bad because it truly brings us to God or away from him, or because it truly enriches us as a person, a good citizen, a child of God, or not.
The judgment made by our conscience goes beyond the practicality or convenience of a matter considered. It goes beyond purely human and temporal criteria. Rather, it brings us to our ultimate supernatural end.
I am afraid that many people, especially the young ones in developed but very worldly countries, are neglecting this. They appear to be at the mercy of purely human and temporal criteria.
The usual result is that they end up being selfish, self-contained and indifferent as well as vulnerable to other vices and weaknesses like lust, frivolity, disordered ambition.
We have to think of an effective strategy to remove them from this very anomalous predicament.
They were amazed at the rate China is developing and at how it is fabricating imitation products whose quality varies according to price, material used, expected lifespan of the item, etc.
The Chinese, they said, can also produce high-quality copies that can last. But, of course, they will be more expensive than the usual ones that last only for a month or two. Still, they are much cheaper than the original, and can be a real good buy.
I remember that some years ago, in preparation for my ordination in Rome, I went to buy a new pair of shoes. When I saw a pair that I liked, I asked the saleslady if that pair would last long. She immediately retorted, “But why do you like it to last long?”
I took a double take before I could process what she just said. It went frontally against how I was brought up. I tried my best not to look third-worldly. I was not sure whether I succeeded.
Anyway, I just bought the pair because it was within budget—beggars cannot be choosers. But the retort of the clerk lingered long in my mind. As it turned out, the shoes were good only for a few uses.
Now, I can understand why there is need for products to move fast in the market. I have to apologize to my parents and elders, because I think there’s also a reason why products should not be made to last very long.
Business needs to go at a fast clip, so money circulation can get faster, employment can also go up, especially giving room to our creative minds who never run out of new ideas and styles. All these are good for the economy.
Besides, there are people, like the yuppies, who like to change styles very often and who can afford. In other words, there is demand or market for it, especially considering the growing population and improving economy.
And there’s the expected over-all effect that such dynamism will lend vitality and modernity to our society. That’s the upside.
The downside is that this market-driven behavior undermines one’s conscience, giving the impression nothing is permanent and absolute, everything changes and is relative, and leading people to materialism, consumerism, etc., all against the Christian virtue of poverty and detachment.
It takes away our soul’s moorings. It can harm the spiritual character and supernatural tone of our thoughts, words and deeds. Our attitudes can suffer serious damage, as they lose their linkage with God and his law.
All these can come about because in a market-driven economy, the tendency is only for external, purely social and economic values to be considered.
The finer values are often omitted. The work of one’s conscience is skipped, while the impulses of the hormones and emotions, and the play of the blind market forces are given full rein.
This is something which we should try to avoid always. In grappling with our material needs, we should never ignore the important role played by our conscience.
Our conscience is that judgment we make to determine whether a choice we
are making is good or bad because it truly brings us to God or away from him, or because it truly enriches us as a person, a good citizen, a child of God, or not.
The judgment made by our conscience goes beyond the practicality or convenience of a matter considered. It goes beyond purely human and temporal criteria. Rather, it brings us to our ultimate supernatural end.
I am afraid that many people, especially the young ones in developed but very worldly countries, are neglecting this. They appear to be at the mercy of purely human and temporal criteria.
The usual result is that they end up being selfish, self-contained and indifferent as well as vulnerable to other vices and weaknesses like lust, frivolity, disordered ambition.
We have to think of an effective strategy to remove them from this very anomalous predicament.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Priests and politics
Standard disclaimers by Church leaders were made when some clerics decided to run for various government posts in the last elections.
Everyone was warned that these priests were running on their own, without
sanction and permission from the Church or their bishops, and were actually suspended from their priestly duties.
All these disclaimers spring from, among others, the Church’s Canon Law which specifically prohibits priests from getting involved in politics. Its Canon 285,3 states:
“Clerics are forbidden to assume public office whenever it means sharing in
the exercise of civil power.”
This provision is preceded by the admonition that says that clerics should shun anything unbecoming to their state, and also should avoid whatever is foreign to their state, even when it is not unseemly.
For a priest to get involved in politics is clearly considered in the canon as something unbecoming and foreign to his state. In short, he makes himself a fish out of water, a square peg in a round hole, a misfit, no matter how popular or well-loved he may be by the people.
A priest in politics is a clear case of clericalism, a disease quite common in the dark parts of the Church’s long history when there was no clear distinction made between Church and civil powers.
It was a bitter and bloody lesson learned. Hopefully, we don’t have to go through it again.
“Sharing in the exercise of civil power” can include executive, legislative and judicial power like being a governor or mayor, congressman or senator, judge, etc.
This prohibition is based on the very nature of the ministerial priesthood and on the sacred object of its mission. A priest is a witness and dispenser of supernatural values on behalf of Christ and with Christ’s power.
In the first place, a priest with his holy orders is conformed to Christ as head of the Church, and not just to Christ as member of the Church just like what happens with everybody else with his Christian baptism.
As such, his main concern is the salvation of souls which has an eminently spiritual and supernatural character. This spiritual and supernatural character transcends the unavoidable variety and conflicts of positions allowed by the autonomous nature of our temporal affairs, such as our
politics.
Though he can have his own personal views in political issues, the priest as priest should try to be above all these to unite the people for what is absolutely necessary for us, without getting entangled in divisive matters, no matter how important they are.
When we hear that priests should speak only about God, it means that even
if they have to touch on political issues, it has to be clear that the purpose is to conform things to God, and not to take sides or to get involved in the technical aspects.
Besides, they have to do it such that there is always charity and mercy. Speaking with the forcefulness of God always respects freedom. There is no bitter zeal involved.
Relevant to this point, the Directory on the Ministry and Life of Priests says:
“The priest cannot take an active role in political parties… In fact, even if these are good things in themselves, they are nevertheless foreign to the clerical state since they can constitute a grave danger of division in the ecclesial community.
“The priest ought to refrain from actively engaging himself in politics in order to be a central point of spiritual fraternity.
“To intervene directly in political activities and in social organization forms part of the lay faithful’s vocation, in which they work by their own initiative together with their fellow citizens.” (33)
I think part of the problem we have now is the perception that we lack credible laymen with authentic Christian spirit and zeal to intervene directly in politics. But is this really so? I have my doubts.
Related to that problem is the well-known clerical mentality quite widespread among us, a result of our history and culture, which leads the lay faithful often to run to the clergy to settle concerns that belong more to them than to the priests.
Everyone was warned that these priests were running on their own, without
sanction and permission from the Church or their bishops, and were actually suspended from their priestly duties.
All these disclaimers spring from, among others, the Church’s Canon Law which specifically prohibits priests from getting involved in politics. Its Canon 285,3 states:
“Clerics are forbidden to assume public office whenever it means sharing in
the exercise of civil power.”
This provision is preceded by the admonition that says that clerics should shun anything unbecoming to their state, and also should avoid whatever is foreign to their state, even when it is not unseemly.
For a priest to get involved in politics is clearly considered in the canon as something unbecoming and foreign to his state. In short, he makes himself a fish out of water, a square peg in a round hole, a misfit, no matter how popular or well-loved he may be by the people.
A priest in politics is a clear case of clericalism, a disease quite common in the dark parts of the Church’s long history when there was no clear distinction made between Church and civil powers.
It was a bitter and bloody lesson learned. Hopefully, we don’t have to go through it again.
“Sharing in the exercise of civil power” can include executive, legislative and judicial power like being a governor or mayor, congressman or senator, judge, etc.
This prohibition is based on the very nature of the ministerial priesthood and on the sacred object of its mission. A priest is a witness and dispenser of supernatural values on behalf of Christ and with Christ’s power.
In the first place, a priest with his holy orders is conformed to Christ as head of the Church, and not just to Christ as member of the Church just like what happens with everybody else with his Christian baptism.
As such, his main concern is the salvation of souls which has an eminently spiritual and supernatural character. This spiritual and supernatural character transcends the unavoidable variety and conflicts of positions allowed by the autonomous nature of our temporal affairs, such as our
politics.
Though he can have his own personal views in political issues, the priest as priest should try to be above all these to unite the people for what is absolutely necessary for us, without getting entangled in divisive matters, no matter how important they are.
When we hear that priests should speak only about God, it means that even
if they have to touch on political issues, it has to be clear that the purpose is to conform things to God, and not to take sides or to get involved in the technical aspects.
Besides, they have to do it such that there is always charity and mercy. Speaking with the forcefulness of God always respects freedom. There is no bitter zeal involved.
Relevant to this point, the Directory on the Ministry and Life of Priests says:
“The priest cannot take an active role in political parties… In fact, even if these are good things in themselves, they are nevertheless foreign to the clerical state since they can constitute a grave danger of division in the ecclesial community.
“The priest ought to refrain from actively engaging himself in politics in order to be a central point of spiritual fraternity.
“To intervene directly in political activities and in social organization forms part of the lay faithful’s vocation, in which they work by their own initiative together with their fellow citizens.” (33)
I think part of the problem we have now is the perception that we lack credible laymen with authentic Christian spirit and zeal to intervene directly in politics. But is this really so? I have my doubts.
Related to that problem is the well-known clerical mentality quite widespread among us, a result of our history and culture, which leads the lay faithful often to run to the clergy to settle concerns that belong more to them than to the priests.
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