Credits

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

A Merciless, Ruthless Church

I have been a Catholic all my life, somehow along the way I became disillusioned with the church. I saw how some unscrupulous men of the cloth abuse the faith and trust given to them by their flock. I suppose there will always be bad eggs in every institution there is. But in a church which preaches love, faith and values, its the last place you would expect evil to thrive.

I have stopped going to church but had never renounced my Lord. The few times I attend the service is simply because I had no choice. I chose to live by the teachings of the Holy Book instead. I would rather commune with my Lord in my own way than be a hypocrite. I have met several nuns and priests who share my feelings as they themselves have seen how even their very own leaders are living a life so lavish that it insults the senses of its flock.

I must admit that there are really nuns and priests who have devoted their lives in the service of the Lord. There are however some who uses the church to enrich themselves. As I watched the hearings of the senate today on the wiretapping case, I cannot help but cringe at how priests and bishops turned their backs on people who need sanctuary. Is these the kind people who preach love and yet conspire with the powers that be to deprive a person in dire need of a safe place?

One witness described how disillusioned he was with the church. I cannot in any way fathom how people of the cloth can be used by an abusive regime. Clearly, the current leaders of the church should stop and reflect on how their actions affect the perception of those they rule over.

Politics and money are ever present in the church as well. A recent meeting I had with several members of the church confirmed how corruption has infected the hierarchy of the Catholic faith. One even mentioned that its no longer "white envelopes" but "suitcases" of money. They shared with me that there is division in the church as certain factions are sick of the corruption they witness. They even confirmed how some of their leaders are under the payroll of a very powerful man.

Now it is clear to me why a certain leader of the church strays from the way of reason and sensitivity to issue callous statements in defense of this illegitimate regime. It is now clear to me how a certain priest rides a red Jaguar to different functions. I am dismayed by this blatant display of corruption and greed. Greed led to the ouster of one prominent priest from his parish. He managed to increase their collection and was able to really serve the less-fortunate.

This did not go unnoticed and he was soon transferred to another parish. Its all about control of funds. Its sad that his projects will now suffer as a greedy faction will now takeover and use the funds as they see fit. Never have I been sick to the gut as these are the people who is supposed to emulate the Lord. Everyday, we see poverty around us and some of these "hoodlums in robes" live in opulence.

Now I understand how Jesus felt when He saw the temple turned into a market. I now understand why some priests would walk away from their vocation. Now I understand why the Catholic church continues to lose members to other faiths. I now wonder how betrayed God must feel in how these fishers of men abuse their power. But I will remain a Catholic despite these personalities. I will not renounce my faith but will certainly denounce these wolves in sheep's clothing. These personalities know who they are and I hope that the Lord will not be kind to them when they face judgement.

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