Pushing political goals: How Church can do better

This refers to Jocelyn Uy’s article titled “What happened to Catholic vote?” (Inquirer, 5/15/13) which quoted Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles’ text message to her: “I am not happy (with the outcome of elections),” adding he was resigned to the idea that the country “is not yet ready for better things.”

Alas, poor Archbishop Arguelles—following his earlier ranting and divisive “initiatives”—has become a prophet of doom and gloom. He has virtually condemned the whole country to hopelessness because the election results did not meet his expectations.

Archbishop Arguelles should not forget that not only is he a ranking official of the Catholic Church but also a symbol. What he says or does has consequences and has a way of conveying correctly or incorrectly the message of God’s love. Thus he should be careful about “shooting from the hips.”

But I see a glimmer of hope when he said honestly enough that “Church organizations had tried their best to guide the electorate but it was not good enough.” We have well-trained lectors, commentators and Eucharistic ministers in many parishes, but we have no formation office whose function is to develop the moral basis necessary to undergird our political goals, as was the intent of The Second Plenary Council of the Philippines’ prescription for the creation of a Ministry of Politics. The closest the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) came to organizing this was in 2004 when it created the Commission (not ministry) on Public Affairs (CPA). The CPA never really got off the ground due to the lukewarm support of the CBCP as evidenced by the creation of a commission and not a full-blown ministry under the CBCP, which would have given it the necessary financial and administrative support.

The debacle that the Church went through during the RH debate should not be repeated, and this can only happen if we are better organized and have found the answer to the practical question of how to engage in political activity in a fashion that is consistent with our faith.  Archbishop Arguelles would have done the Church a great service if his observation leads to concrete action on the part of the CBCP on such a ministry.

I have written a lengthy paper that provides some suggestions on how Catholics should engage singly and collectively in public affairs. Those interested can e-mail me for an electronic copy.

—TOMAS D. ACHACOSO,

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