Church’s deafening silence on current issues

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:05 AM October 03, 2023

The Catholic Church is supposed to be the church of the helpless but faithful poor. But where is the Church amidst the issues of confidential and intelligence funds, alleged election fraud, and other scandalous political and social controversies? When is the Church going to make a pastoral statement regarding these issues to be read before the faithful during Sunday Masses?

The Church is obviously silent and it is deafening. The controversial funds are people’s money and they are for the poor. If these funds are misused and the Church silently, deliberately, or otherwise, ignores them, then something is wrong with it. God has always commanded his followers to help the poor because it’s a great way to worship Him. It is a double oppression of the poor if Catholic politicians and the Church who are expected to incarnate preferential action for the poor appear to be in every inch not for the poor. God loves the poor and so should we.

As I have written previously, “The Church can never be silent about these social evils. When it becomes silent, it ceases to be the real Church. The Church remains to be the voice of God, and this is the true essence of the Church that Jesus founded.”

The Church should heed God’s commandment. God says, “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land” (Deuteronomy 15:11).