Black Nazarene matters
There’s a whale of a difference in the silent protests staged by militants inside Quiapo church and the NBA players at the Orlando bubble in Florida in the runup to the last weekend.
While both were meant to dramatize their demands for something they believe in, they differ in the venue which they chose to stage them.
The NBA was relaunching its coronavirus-hit season at the Disney World resort’s ESPN Wide World of Sports complex, with players showing their indignation over the death of a black man, George Floyd, at the hands of a policeman, by kneeling in unison during the playing of the United States national anthem before the resumption of games.
Wearing T-shirts emblazoned with “Black Lives Matter,” the players were using the NBA restart as their way of showing disgust over racism and police brutality, two social justice issues which caught fire following the death of Floyd.
Akbayan members, on the other hand, flashed protest placards against the anti-terror law during a SoNA (State of the Nation Address) Mass for Peace and Justice at the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene while a service was ongoing.
The NBA players’ unique silent protest drew praise from fans and viewers alike. The Akbayan militants’ activism right inside a church, however, drew flak from netizens and Church officials who condemned their choice of venue.
A priest remarked that the Mass and the church are not the place for partisan, ideological posturing.
“People gather to pray, and to gain respite from the divisiveness outside, and these people slither into churches, seize the opportunity of a congregation of people and hijack religious services for their purposes,” he said.
A video that went viral on social media showed two police officers confiscating a bag and some protest placards from an Akbayan member attending Mass.
Another photo made rounds showing the same man and his companion flashing “anti-terror law” placards inside the church.
Netizens were upset over the incident, pointing out that a place of worship and prayers is not the right place for such a protest.
“Those carrying the placards are wrong. Obviously, they have an intention when they flashed their propaganda materials inside the church. They were the ones who did not respect the church, and maybe the police could no longer wait until the end of the Mass so they acted.
The protest was an obstruction of the Mass,” a netizen said in a post in the vernacular.
Indeed, staging their protest action inside a church while a Mass was ongoing will not sit well with the predominantly Catholic Filipinos. For them it is a sign of disrespect for the venerated Black Nazarene.
Rev. Fr. Douglas Badong, Parochial Vicar of the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, expressed his dismay over the incident.
“Respect is one word they should learn particularly with the religious Pinoys. Activism has no place inside the church. It is sacrilege.
“A priest remarked that the Mass and the church are not the place for partisan, ideological posturing.
Badong said the church was not the proper venue for such activism.
“It was not the correct venue to express and show those placards. Maybe the police just took the bag in that manner because these activists or rallyists refused to listen. The Mass is not the right time to give out flyers,” he said.
According to Badong, the activists could have staged their protest in Plaza Miranda or Plaza Carriedo, but not inside the church.
He said a true devotee knows what to do and how to respect activities inside a church. The way we see it, the rallyists just wanted to get the attention of people.
No matter how they would like to justify their act, however, the militants ought to know better. Respect is one word they should learn particularly with the religious Pinoys. Activism has no place inside the church. It is sacrilege.
Or maybe, like the movement that NBA players are in solidarity with, these local militants should remember that for Pinoy devotees, the Black Nazarene matters.