The Philippines is a country of contradictions. While it boasts of being predominantly Catholic, Philippine pop culture suggests the opposite: There are churches on every other street corner, but also raunchy dancers on every primetime TV show; almost everyone is baptized during early childhood, but adultery is a common theme in Philippine cinemas.
To add to these clashes between belief and action are unavoidable gray areas. It’s a common experience among students to pit their Christian upbringing against day-to-day influences: How can one believe in a god who, for instance, condemns contraception and homosexuality? Questions like these result in tension and conflict: A sense of religious angst brought on by faith’s apparent irreconcilability with the times.
Cultural conviction
Societies all over the world are affected by religion and, in much the same way, religion is affected by society. “Any faith is expressed culturally, in terms of the understanding of that faith in that particular culture,” explains Ruben Mendoza, an assistant professor at the Department of Theology. And while all Catholic institutions are said to be under the umbrella of the Vatican, it’s difficult to deny that the Philippines has its own brand of Filipinized Catholicism.
For instance, the procession held for the Black Nazarene is unique to the Philippines. Every year, devotees walk along the hot streets of Quiapo, risking suffocation and being trampled on for a statue of Jesus known to have miraculously survived a fire in 1606. During Holy Week, on the other hand, Filipinos practice penitensya by reenacting Jesus’ suffering by being whipped and even nailed onto crosses.
Filipino devotion doesn’t end on religious holidays; it manifests itself in everyday situations as well. Some Filipinos wear scapulars or carry rosaries, for example, because it is believed to keep one away from danger.
The same is said of having representations of Christ on public transport. “[Before coming to the Philippines] I had never ridden in a jeepney with the words ‘Gift of God’ written in graffiti above the windshield,” recounts Pete Benedetto, who was an assistant to Raoul Roncal of the Theology Department. Benedetto was previously a youth worker in Ireland, where his relationship with God grew, leading to his decision to put his career on hold for another two years of volunteering.
Because of the prevalence of Christianity in our country, very few Filipinos consider exploring other religions. According to Mendoza, people typically follow the religion they were born into and find existential meaning in the religious institution they grew up knowing.
This situation is clearly present in the Philippine context where many grew up studying in educational institutions that require Christian life classes. However, in the Ateneo, a number of students harbor a sense of detachment towards the study of God and religious beliefs.
“I think many of [my students] are not really interested in theology,” Mendoza observes. “It just so happened that theology is in the core curriculum; it’s part of the subjects that they have to take.”
Religious politics
In December 2012, communications technology management senior Jake Jereza changed his Facebook profile picture to one of him and his boyfriend Bardo Wu (BFA ID ‘12) kissing.
Taken during the Metro Manila Pride March, an event held in celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) culture, Jereza and Wu boldly made their statement as anti-gay protesters looked on disapprovingly. “It’s not OK to be gay! It’s a sin!” read one of the protesters’ signs. The photo went viral.
Though the Vatican is known for its strong opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion, the Philippine Catholic Church is set apart by way of its strong political influence. “It’s interesting to see the different ways people here react to [the bishops’ statements],” Benedetto expresses.
“I’ve talked with a number of students who question [the bishops’] authority,” adds Benedetto. In the Philippines, the Church’s influence impedes the enactment of certain laws, causing the younger generation to turn away, dismissing their views as old fashioned.
For instance, the Anti-Discrimination Act of 2011, which protected victims of racial, ethnic and religious discrimination, became subject to debate when the Senate suggested it include members of the LGBT community as well.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) was concerned that the inclusion of homosexuals under this act would potentially open up doors to gay marriage. Today, there is no legislation against LGBT discrimination.
Jereza, however, finds that many of his peers are open to homosexuality. “[People from our generation] are a lot more accepting, tolerant to say the least. If there would be any kind of homophobia, it’s all subtle.”
Similarly, Jereza admits that the Ateneo is quite liberal as an institution, though he questions the number of theology units he’s required to take. The community’s open-minded views, however, have led to political disputes in the past.
Last year, for example, 169 professors garnered criticism for signing a statement in support of the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill. The subject of debate for decades, the RH bill, now the RH law, seeks population control through education and family planning. The Church opposes the bill due to its implications on contraception and abortion.
Though the Ateneo made it clear that the professors’ opinions did not reflect that of the institution, religious leaders voiced out their disapproval. “[The professors who signed the statement] should be consistent and true to the nature of their calling, which is to enlighten and teach the Catholic doctrine,” commented Archbishop Jose Palma, the current CBCP president.
Connection, disconnection
The Philippines will cease to be a Catholic country in 40 years’ time. That’s according to a study conducted by the CBCP in 2000.
“[The youth] are not turning away,” Fr. Catalino Arevalo, professor emeritus at the Ateneo, explained in an article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. “They are simply not being reached.”
Reaching out to young Filipinos in this day and age however, is much easier said than done. The CBCP’s study concluded that only 6% of the youth receives “significant religious instruction,” leading to their indifference.
Jereza, on the other hand, observes the opposite. “The Church has a very big influence on people who aren’t as educated,” he says. After centuries of Christianity, the Philippines’ religious culture is a double-edged sword. Though churches are filled with people every Sunday, the majority of churchgoers may be there out of habit and obligation.
To those with more access to various resources, technology and an emerging universality of ideas can be a hindrance to the Church’s attempts to connect. The Internet allows for better communication but also gives way for shortcuts. Ten years ago, expressing faith wasn’t as easy as liking and sharing a picture of Jesus on Facebook.
Mendoza explains that social media influences the quality of both our worldly and spiritual ties: “Now, many people are contented with virtual relationships.” The way we deal with others becomes similar to how we deal with things we deem sacred. “Our relationship with God will become virtual as well,” he adds in a mix of English and Filipino.
Christianity is challenged then, to either get with the times or fall into obscurity; anything unimportant is scrolled past and mundane rituals are deemed unnecessary. “I’m pretty sure [Christianity]’s going to be less present,” predicts Jereza. “Christianity—or religion for that matter—won’t be so much of a standard in people from our generation.”
Opening minds
“To say that everybody will agree on one thing is impossible,” Jereza says. “People will always have different beliefs.” In this light, the Catholic Church and the Filipino youth may never see eye to eye: The gray areas will always be present, in a dazzling array of 50 shades or more.
In much the same way, people will continue to turn to religion, asking questions they don’t have the answers to. Faith is never direct: “Mas madali kasi minsan pag isang sagot, isang tanong (It’s easier sometimes if there’s one answer for every question),” Mendoza says. “Pero hindi ganun kadali ang buhay (But life isn’t that easy).”
Meanwhile, on the part of religious institutions, there is a challenge to come up with answers that are in line with the problems of today.
This dialogue invites people to be open, a quality that Mendoza believes to be integral to growing in a university such as the Ateneo. “I think that an important dimension of open-mindedness is the humility to admit that we are wrong—when we are wrong—or to learn from other people and what they are saying.”
