Blessed Paul VI

When I was a kid in Tondo, there used to be a free clinic along Cavite and Fidel Streets named after Pope Paul VI, the first pope to have visited the Philippines way back in 1970; the pope who has just been beatified almost a week ago by Pope Francis. As it was located across the street from where our grandparents lived, we would usually play in front of this clinic (famously called 'Pope Paul') - it was situated facing the east so it provides enough of a shade in the afternoon when the sun is at its peak. Inside the clinic, one could see a photo of a European cleric in full regalia with his right hand raised up in blessing (similar to the photo above). If I am not mistaken, the clinic was erected in memory of this pope who visited the poor of Tondo during that historic papal visit. Sadly, the clinic is now defunct.

We recently had two popes being canonized: John XIII and John Paul II. I guess Paul VI would pale in comparison with the two. Some even commented that he was the forgotten pope.  Being a 'Paul VI baby' since I was born during his pontificate, part of his accomplishments was to reopen Vatican Council II with priorities on a better understanding of the Catholic Church, Church reforms, advancing the unity of Christians, and dialogue with the world. 

Such priorities have turned the Church upside down. Gone were the days when Catholics and their siblings from other Christian denominations such as the Orthodox and Protestants were isolated from one another.  Pope Paul VI also sought a dialogue with the world - Christians and non-Christians alike, everyone!  A Euro-centric Church has become a Church of the world! 

In his visit to the Philippines, it was said that after seeing a poor family in their home, he as badly shaken (Read: http://opinion.inquirer.net/74108/forgotten-pope). The kind of poverty in the slums of the Philippines were a far, far, far cry from its European counterpart!

When I was in college, part of our curriculum was to study the Church's social teachings. "Populorum Progressio", which this pope wrote in 1967, comes to mind. In this encyclical, he called for an economy that serves mankind and not a privileged few. It also discussed people's right to just wages, security of employment, joining a union, etc.

He was also a Marian devotee, writing three encyclicals in honor of the Virgin Mary: "Mense Maio" (1965) where described Mary as the way to Christ; "Christi Matri" (1966) where he recommened the Rosary in light of the Vietnam War and the dangers of atomic conflicts; and "Marialis Cultus" (1974) where he promoted Marian devotions especially the Angelus and the Rosary. At the conclusion of Vatican Council II, he named Mary "Mother of the Church".

Pope Paul also effected reforms in the Roman Curia, introduced Synod of Bishops as a way for the Pope to consult his brother bishops on various topics (the recently concluded Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family is an example), did away with the Vatican army and the papal tiara (I look forward to see his tiara which he donated to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC.), and revised the Mass (i.e. The New Order of Mass).

Like anyone of us, he wasn't spared from controversy.  It seems to me that his accomplishments mentioned above have been overshadowed by "Humanae Vitae" which he wrote and for which he is best remembered. In this encyclical, he reaffirmed Church's traditional view on marriage and marital relations and a continued condemnation on artificial birth control. Some actions too of his successors like Benedict XVI have undone what he has introduced such as resurrecting from the lumang baul the 1962 edition of the Mass and calling it the "Extraordinary Form" while the other one as the "Ordinary Form". 

Pope Paul VI (and the charity clinic in Tondo named after him) may have been long forgotten, but Pope Francis' beatification of this humble pontiff seems an opportunity for us all to revisit who this man was and how his ministry, teachings, and reforms are still relevant in our times.

Blessed Paul VI, pray for us!

When the Eucharist Excluded No One

Pope Francis continues to inspire people with his down-to-earth approach of 'feeding the sheep and tending the lambs'.His emphasis on mercy rather than on doctrines and rites is turning the Church upside down. Who couldn't forget how he washed the feet of 12 prisoners - male and female, Catholic and non-Catholic - in a youth prison during the first year of his pontificate? Who wouldn't take to heart his now famous quote "Who am I to judge?", when asked about his views on homosexuals? And who wouldn't recall his reaching out to victims of clerical sexual abuse and other evils? 

Way back in February of this year, the Holy Father invited Cardinal Walter Kasper, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, to speak before the College of Cardinals. In his address, Cardinal Kasper put forward the idea of allowing divorced or civilly remarried (without annulment of their first marriage) Catholics to receive Holy Communion. According to Church teaching, Catholics who remarry without having their first marriage annulled may not receive Holy Communion unless they abstain from sexual relations.

Going fast forward, this 5th of October the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family will be convened. It hasn't opened yet, but a handful of Cardinal Kasper's confreres have been criticizing his idea, to the point of publishing books reasserting Church teaching. Word has it that the Pope got irritated with this.  

I read with interest Fr Peter Day's blog entitled "The Eucharist is not a prize for the perfect, Cardinal Pell" (http://www.thetablet.co.uk/blogs/1/439/the-eucharist-is-not-a-prize-for-the-perfect-cardinal-pell). In his blog he put to task Cardinal George Pell, former Archbishop of Sydney and now Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, for being a hardliner.  What I find striking was when he asked this prince of the Church - his fellow Australian- what was in the mind of Jesus when He instituted the Eucharist; whose hunger it was that our Lord was responding to (in giving His body and blood as food and drink); and the need to be compelled to reach out to outsiders (in this case, those who are banned from receiving Communion because they remarried without seeking annulment of their first failed marriage). Fr Day wrote "Cardinal, can any of us look our Lord and Master in the eye and say: “Yes, I am a follower; but you must understand there are rules …”?"

It is lamentable to think that there are pari-seos (priests with Pharisaic mindset; I coined this name from the word pariseo or Pharisee, but hyphenated it to stress the word pari or priest) in the Church, the Church founded by Christ who criticized the Pharisees of His time. Pari-seos who would go by the book, whose one-track mind disregards the pleas of those who suffer, whose rigidity prevents fresh air and light from entering the Church.  

I believe in the indissolubility of marriage, but I am also aware that some marriages do fail. To exclude people in this sad situation from receiving Jesus in Holy Communion isn't healthy, isn't Christian at all! Don't get me wrong: I am not condoning couples cohabiting without the blessing of marriage. I do realize though that this situation does happen for various reasons. To close the doors on these brothers and sisters of ours would potentially make them no longer go to church or if they do, they wouldn't care what others say and just receive Communion. Either of these will not be good examples for children, isn't it? To close the doors on these people is to effectively push them to live in sin!

Christ is asking for mercy not sacrifice (Mt 9:13). And that "the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath" (Mk 2:27). Unless our Church leaders move out of their comfort zones, our Church will just be a hollow institution of rules and rituals, a mausoleum in the making.  Only recently, Pope Francis presided over the wedding of 20 couples at St Peter's - with one bride already a mother, some couples had been living together, and other had previous marriages. If we take this as Papa Francesco's hints on how he would like to reintegrate individuals (and families) from failed marriages, then this is something to be welcomed. I hope his brother bishops, especially the likes of Cardinal Pell, would see eye-to-eye with him. The extraordinary synod next month is an opportunity for the Pope, bishops, and other stakeholders to transform the image of the Church into a vibrant community of believers where everyone is welcome, just as Jesus would have wanted it.

This coming Sunday, let's join the rest of the Church across the world in praying for the synod by saying this prayer written by Pope Francis:

Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

in you we contemplate

the splendour of true love,

to you we turn with trust.

Holy Family of Nazareth,

grant that our families too

may be places of communion and prayer,

authentic schools of the Gospel

and small domestic Churches.

Holy Family of Nazareth,

may families never again 

experience violence, rejection and division:

may all who have been hurt or scandalized

find ready comfort and healing.

Holy Family of Nazareth,

may the approaching Synod of Bishops

make us once more mindful 

of the sacredness and inviolability of the family,

and its beauty in God’s plan.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

graciously hear our prayer.

Amen.