Hypocrisy is everywhere but not only in Catholicism whether we like it or not. It could be found in all religions, and even inside the individual homes, because every family has its own version of hypocrisy whether it’s Catholic, atheist or non-Christian because people are exposed to daily temptations – newsmongering, drunkenness, womanizing, lying, drug addiction, disrespect, arrogance, cussing, cheating, hatred, bitterness, retaliation, greed, prostitution, pornography, discrimination, backbiting, etc. Hence, no institution/family can be labeled as the most hypocritical because no one can fully measure one’s behaviors that fall under hypocritical manners as there’s no constant in this earth but change – even in a family setting, family member may be seen with hypocrisies at certain levels of her/his communion at home but everyone may be clueless how good he/she is outside which he/she does not broadcast anymore. Nonetheless, blessed are they who triumph daily against any of these hypocrisies.
I
trailed away as a Catholic because of hypocrisies brought by my ignorance of
good values taught in the Church because of isolating myself to the Church
communities. Thus, I’ve been developed extensively by worldly values than Godly
values. However, I am aware that not all
Catholics are bad. The personal belief that Catholicism is the most hypocritical
institution may stick into one’s belief system if one is surrounded by
hypocritical than people who could sincerely appreciate each goodness.
Of
course there are “cafeteria Catholics” who are neither hot nor cold adhering to
traditions that suit their comfort zone while preferring to discard some of the
Church’s teaching that opposes pleasurable life’s principles. This is true both to people who are aware and
ignorant that it’s disobedience against God’s precepts that is hypocrisy, especially
when one is focused on his personal feelings and self-sufficiency than turning to
Jesus’ anointed, believing for themselves that legalizing
death penalty,[1]
lobbying on same-sex marriage or reproductive choice are better than obeying
God’s precepts entrenched in the Catholic Church by Jesus Himself.
And
the not-so-good about it is when expression of truth is labeled as
hypocrisy. One overlooks the reality
that if a preacher, religious, or layman fails to live up to the standards he
is preaching, the blame lies with him and not with the message he preaches. His
actions say much about himself but not about the teachings of Christ.
Jesus
certainly practiced what He preached, but if someone else preaches Jesus'
message exactly the same but does not practice it perfectly, it is not logical
to conclude that the message of Jesus must be flawed.
In connection with this, the public was
bolted from the blue again when Presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte called
the Catholic Church as the "most hypocritical institution."[2]
During the election, Duterte has a 6.2
million lead over administration candidate, Mar Roxas. The country has a
population of 100
million people predominated
by Catholics (four in five Filipinos are Catholics).[3] Saying that the Catholic Church is a
hypocritical institution is tantamount to saying that its followers who voted
for him are all hypocrites. The Philippines has been ran by hypocritical
leaders since the ancient times and up to this time so it’s expected that some if not all exercise their freedom
to caution and remind people whenever there seems to be a threat again. If Duterte’s freedom is to curse people who
campaign against a threat, the Bishops’ freedom is to remind the electorates that
this country has been so because of hypocritical leaders.
Campaigning against anyone is simply an
expression of liberty looking at the common good but not to create a referendum
as a check on who has the right instinct between him and the Catholic Church. There’s no perfect candidate as everybody is subject
to temptation but the people can choose who is lesser evil, and cursing Pope Francis, his statements on killing criminals,[4] his
admission on being a womanizer and being at odd with human rights advocates for
his alleged involvement in the Davao Death Squad are the things that were not
effective as a mix in the past governance.
The Martial Law is the classic example of it, which the Catholic Church had
fought with to regain freedom which indeed the Church had won, so it’s not
hypocrisy to be precautious.
Duterte said Catholic Church leaders
should not hold themselves morally superior because their "hypocritical
institution" has a long history of transgression. Reminding the people on the significance of servanthood
in presidency is not acting as someone who is morally superior but optimization
of significance as shepherds. They are just doing their mission as Jesus’
shepherds, nothing more, nothing less.
He said that the Bishops have been
castigating him. There’s nothing wrong with rebuking for
misdeeds. Ignoring misdeeds is ignoring
potential danger.
Like any other religions, the Catholic
Church commits also an error but it does not mean that because it commits error
that it would cease to teach Jesus’ teaching. If a
priest, religious, or laymen fail to live up to the standards they are
preaching, the blame lies with him but not with the message they preach. Their
deeds say much about themselves but not about the teachings of Christ.
Jesus
unquestionably puts everything He preaches into practice, but if someone else
preaches His message exactly the same and does not live it out impeccably, it
is irrational to conclude that the Lord’s Gospel must be substandard. In
relation with this, if it were proven tomorrow that Albert Einstein was a child
molester, it would not show the theory of relativity to be false. Hence, a
system should not be judged by its most evil enthusiasts but by its best, those
who actually live up to its standards.[5] Judge
the Catholic Church not by its hypocrites (those who took mistresses for
themselves, or those bishops who got married and had women in their lives, or
those who acquired SUVs during the Arroyo administration[6] as
Duterte discloses) but by its saints who sacrificed their lives to conserve
Jesus’ teachings for the common good. Otherwise, he would prefer a death
penalty than rehabilitation of a son, for example, who is influenced on drugs
by the environment.
Despite all the cursing and
condemnation of the Catholic Church, Duterte asserted, however, that he
believes in God but he does not need religion to express his faith. "I have this deep, abiding faith in God
but that does not mean that you have to have a religion, you have to follow
somebody, that you have to get a message from this and that. Why would I have
to go to a human being to whisper my sins and ask for forgiveness from him? Who
are you to listen to my sins and give me absolution? You are not God,” he
said.
With due respect to the elected
president, this is very deceiving for the youth and even adults who have weak
foundation of faith, and hence a hypocrisy.
Because to believe in God is at the same time to believe His
Shepherds. Jesus’ design to protect Peter and His
successors from error has been re-echoed in the Scripture when the Lord says to
Saint Peter, " I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever
you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth
shall be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:19). Jesus would hardly give approval in heaven to
bad decisions by Popes on earth, so He provided protection against this
occurrence, which has been affirmed when He said, "And behold, I am with
you always, until the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20). And in different occasion, Jesus said, “And I
will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you
always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither
sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in
you.”(John 14:16-17)
Hypocrisy is the pretension to attributes which one does not have,
or the presenting of a false appearance of virtue or religion. The portrayal of
hypocrisy is drawn with horrendous clarity by Jesus in His of denunciation of
the Pharisees: "Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites;
because you tithe mint, and anise, and cummin, and
have left the weightier things of the law; judgment, and
mercy, and faith. These things you
ought to have done, and not to leave those undone. Blind guides, who strain out
a gnat, and swallow a camel." (Matthew 23:23-24)
The Catholic Church (along with non-Christians and non-Catholics)
may be composed by some of “cafeteria Christians” (the hypocritical) along with
the zealous Catholics but not the entire composition of it.
As an institution anointed by Jesus Himself, the Catholic Church
preserves Jesus’ teachings, His love, His compassion, His forgiveness and His
hope towards one another’s transformation.
Thus its identity as an institution is not hypocrisy.
References:
[1] Reuters/Rene
Lumawag, Philippine leader Duterte vents at 'hypocritical' Catholic church, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-philippines-politics-church-idUSKCN0YD0OH
[2] Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News, Duterte calls Catholic Church 'most hypocritical institution', Posted at May 22 2016
01:20 PM | Updated as of May 22 2016
07:40 PM, http://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/05/22/16/duterte-calls-catholic-church-most-hypocritical-institution
[3] Raul Dancel,
Duterte accuses Catholic Church of hypocrisy, Philippines Correspondent In
Manila, http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/duterte-accuses-catholic-church-of-hypocrisy
[4]
Erik De Castro,
Philippines' Rodrigo Duterte blasts Catholic Church, labels it country's 'most
hypocritical institution', Posted http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-23/philippines-duterte-blasts-catholic-church/7436144
[5] How can the
Church be true when it produces hypocrisy?, http://www.catholic.com/quickquestions/how-can-the-church-be-true-when-it-produces-hypocrisy
[6] Raul Dancel,
Duterte accuses Catholic Church of hypocrisy, Philippines Correspondent In
Manila, http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/duterte-accuses-catholic-church-of-hypocrisy
[7] Raul Dancel,
Duterte accuses Catholic Church of hypocrisy, Philippines Correspondent In
Manila, http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/duterte-accuses-catholic-church-of-hypocrisy
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