A Personal Observation Essay On the Contemporary Issues of the Catholic Church in the Philippines.

The Church

The Catholic Church has been around for thousands of years ago, is believed to be founded by Jesus Christ himself as he laid the keys of heaven to the apostle Peter, who is also recognized as the first Pope by the Church. An institution that stood the test of time - from major schisms to sex abuse scandals and homosexuality issues amongst the clergy - the church still exists up to this modern and digital day. Dubbed a 'Pilgrim Church,' this religious institution goes smoothly to the flow of time, dominating almost all forms of communication platforms we have today.

Journey and Service with the Church

I am a member of the Catholic Church, my fathers, and their forefathers. We are raised in a devout family, that is active in all forms of its required ritualistic, and sacramental activities. At a young age, my sister and I were introduced to the importance of prayer, and the sacredness of things that are holy to us and to our religion.

Due to this, I have this sense of religiosity that is expected of a member of the Church to have, and that is obedience to the morality and dignity of human life. I entered a ministry way back in 2006 and became an altar server. I was then a very young boy, who lived in the ideal Church - a Church full of love, peace, and understanding. I became the president of the Ministry of Altar Servers or MAS, (which we call Knights of the Altar or KOA at that time) at the age of 12 up to the year 2015, which gives me almost a decade of ministry leadership experience. During my service with MAS, I was also given the opportunity to be part of the Parish Youth Ministry (PYM) as their education committee head, and under that committee is a parish-based community theater company where I was made a production manager and playwright around 2013 to 2018. These experiences are very crucial in my formation as a Church worker to the person that I am today.

My service to MAS ended in 2015 when the new priest decided to put an age limit for altar servers, we were relieved of duty instantly. After that, I became active in the Ministry of Social Communications as the coordinator from 2019 to 2022.

These experiences are very important and crucial to my formation as a servant-leader to the person that I am today.

Now, I have decided to write this personal observation essay to lay out my most recent observations regarding our Parish, and the local Church. This will also serve as a critique and evaluation of the current impressions of the institution. 

Catholic Church as a Club

What then is the difference between a Church and a club? A Church is an organization with members with initiation, obligation, and pledges; so is a club. What differentiates them is that the Church has its traditions and rituals rooted in the sense of the Divine, and the members are fueled by faith, and I believe that it is because of the faith of the flock that the Church still stands today. On the other hand, a club, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, is an organization of people with a common purpose or interest, who meet regularly and take part in shared activities. In recent years, I have observed that the Church has become more and more like a club rather than what it should be. I am saying this because I have observed a very big difference in the way the servers are doing compared to that previous years, and these changes happened in quite a short amount of time. 

Factors must be considered. First, is the change in leadership. Priests are assigned and re-assigned from parish to parish every six years, (sometimes shorter or longer depending on the order from the bishop) given that there are no significant changes in the Diocese. In line with this, the styles of leadership vary also and the parishioners must be able to adapt to these rapid changes. Comparison amongst the clergy's leadership style is inevitable in this case. One server might say that he favors the former over the current because of personal preferences for one, habituation, and many more.

Now, from my point of view, our Church, based on the situation in the Parish where I belong, is becoming more and more like a club rather than a Church at present. Why did I call this a club? It is because of the exclusivity that resonates within the ministries, I can attest to this because I've felt that force too. You have to maintain your presence and participation in order for you to feel welcomed - it contradicts the concept of openness and being welcoming that the Church teaches to its flock. Gossiping is also very evident in the community. I mean, there is no harm in chatting but if it goes beyond its boundaries, that's when it starts to become deadly. A lot of relationships are being scarred by excessive gossiping and it also poisons the mind of the people. When we gossip, we don't usually give constructive criticisms, but rather, we tend to taint the reputation and credibility of the person being scrutinized. Another danger of gossiping is the fact that there are young people involved in the service. This inculturation, or the gradual acquisition of the characteristics and norms can be very crucial in these adolescent youngsters should they will be too exposed to these practices, chances are they will also be gossipers as they grow, and that is not a good indication of a healthy community. False information, as we know it, will never bring us good. 

On the Topic of Power

I would also like to address the issue of power within the organization. We all understand how power works in different aspects, especially, within a collective of people with a single goal. I have noticed that in some cases, the topmost such as a president or a coordinator-is being subject to abuse. I see this as a conjured space where one can practice this imaginary power if you will. The church teaches its members to be servant-leaders, a leadership style that is based on the example of Jesus where he himself doesn't just lead his followers, but also serve them in various ways as cited in the Holy Scriptures. As I have observed the practice of leadership, I also noticed the change in one's persona and demeanor. Perhaps, it is just right to embody the qualities that a leader must have, however, there are some instances that the person also changes the way they treat their subordinates.

Conclusion

These are just a fraction of what is really happening in some of the Church's organizations and ministries. I would also like to clarify and reiterate that my observations are just based on my local membership and community, it can also be noticed that it is not clergy-centered because I am not a clergy; therefore I can not support this short essay should I chose to also include the topic regarding the presbyterial order. 

There is so much to learn about how organizations work and how the Church exists. It fascinates me and disappoints me at the same time. Fascination is due to the willingness of the people to commit their time, talent, and treasure to the greater glory of God, and disappointment because of the not so Christian if you will. As I write this short essay/critique, I am asking myself, will these things that I have mentioned be changed? Or will it remain, a mere cycle of a sense of sacredness, with disgust on the side, I would like to see the former come into reality because the latter will only lead us up to no good. The dwindling number of people who converted from Catholic Christianity to other religions or sects is perhaps higher than ever, or worst, they just choose not to believe in God at all. These things that's been constantly thrown at the Church can be considered a big factor in the decision-making of these people, in that case, I would like to really experience a radical reformation in terms of ministerial management and pastoral care of our parishes.

It is also important for the servers to not just learn the management part, but also the spiritual aspect of the ministry. The spirituality of a person fuels their eagerness to share and boosts their confidence as they grow in their respective ministries and organizations. Having a  lack of spirituality can lead to the feeling of a work-like service in the community which can be very stressful for many. A right balance of spirituality and community can make a significant difference in the system.