500 years of Christ and equality
“TOXIC positivity.” Some people cannot accept that one has to see the good and bad side of anything to really learn lessons from history. The radicalism of rhetoric from all sides makes it very hard today to be a centrist. Recently, I was attacked for the celebratory remarks I made on the upcoming 500th year of the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines (which will be commemorated next week through the First Baptism in Cebu that happened on April 14, 1521) where I pointed out that despite Catholicism being used for colonialism, Filipinos still found inspiration from the faith to continue their culture and fight for freedom and equality.
One Facebook commenter quipped, “Ibang level po ang toxic positivity nyo a, denial ng epekto ng colonization at imperialism na hanggang ngayon ay nararanasan pa natin.” I do not know in what part of my statement, “Totoo namang kinawawa tayo sa ating mahabang kasaysayan, matagal ko na ngang tinuturo’ yan,” did I say that I was denying the effects of colonialism.
Then one supposedly established TV host commented on one of my posts: “Speak for yourself and not for Asians who have a firm knowledge of what they are, you indeed have a Xiao mind… Small inversely to your physical side... Shameless .... ” I was shocked by this comment from someone who favors China in the West Philippine Sea conflict. Shameless.
Like all institutions run by human beings, the Catholic Church, and many Christian churches in general, have bad eggs and good eggs. But it seems people have a problem differentiating the faith, the institution and the people that run them. Celebrating Christianity does not justify any wrongdoing. That is very clear to me.
What I’m saying is that although the Catholic religion was used to strengthen colonialism, and therefore racism and inequality, their Christian faith inspired the people to fight for equality in various ways. Didn’t the Lord say in Matthew 20:16, “So the last will be first, and the first will be last”? And in Matthew 25:40, “Whatever you do for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you do for me;” and in Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
There was a time when nonSpaniards were not allowed to become nuns until a Chinese mestiza who took the name Ignacia del Espiritu Santo struggled hard to establish an order that would admit and recognize them. So, she took up residence around 1684 at the back of the Jesuit headquarters in Intramuros and started to attract followers. Eventually, in 1732, after many, many years, they were recognized as the Congregation of the Religious of the Virgin Mary (RVM).
And then of course there was Apolinario de la Cruz, also known as Hermano Pule, who in 1832 organized the lay brotherhood Cofradia de San Jose which was composed only of indios. The movement spread far and wide and you could say that they had a more indigenous and mystical expression of faith (akin to the charismatic movement today). Despite their applying for recognition by the Church and donating sums of money to pay for masses and candles in various churches, the friars became suspicious of the organization, arguably because it had spread to many provinces in Southern Luzon and was rivaling the authority of the parishes. They were persecuted and attacked; those who resisted were massacred and Hermano Pule was shot and quartered.
Aside from many other things, it is safe to assume that the Christian faith inspired people to finally end colonialism. The first two articles of Andres Bonifacio’s Decalogue reflected the verse about loving God and loving your neighbors as yourself.
Emilio Jacinto’s manifesto in the Kalayaan newspaper of the Katipunan agitated the people to see the ironic injustice in the colonial system by those who taught us our faith using the words of Jesus: “‘I am hungry,’ they say, and the one who teaches me to feed the hungry (Spaniards) replies: ‘Eat the leftovers and the crumbs of our savory fare and our sumptuous board.’ My brothers say: ‘I am thirsty,’ and the one who teaches me to give to drink to the thirsty replies: ‘Drink your tears and the sweat, and we shall make sure that you have enough of both.’ My brothers clamor: ‘I am without clothes, completely naked,’ and the one who directs us to clothe the naked replies: ‘Then I shall at once wrap your whole body in a coat of chains, one on top of the other.’”
Despite the Church not changing its views on various sensitive issues, and that is understandable, at least Church leaders have rectified and apologized for many of the past injustices of those who used the name of God, and many of them have worked to empower the poor, fight for climate change and human rights, and speak out against the injustices in society.