Transformed Headline: Carvajal Discusses Hamartia and Metanoia
The Filipino Catholic Church is facing a call for change, as some believe it needs to undergo a significant transformation to address its colonial heritage and better serve the needs of the Filipino people. This shift, known as metanoia, involves a conversion away from a primarily salvation-centered paradigm and towards actively addressing social justice, cultural identity, and political liberation rooted in Filipino realities.
The Church's historical role as an instrument of Spanish colonial power has resulted in a submissive laity that allows priests to live their vocation unopposed or unquestioned in their ways. Spanish friars used religion to make ancestors accept cruel treatment as a colonized people. To de-colonize itself, the Church must critically unpack and transform this legacy.
Key steps towards this transformation include acknowledging and repenting from colonial complicity, reclaiming indigenous cultural identity, shifting ecclesial priorities towards justice and peace, participating in intercultural and ecumenical dialogue, educating clergy and laity on colonial history and its impact, and promoting local leadership and the empowerment of marginalized sectors.
The Church's mission, as stated in the Our Father, is to bring God's kingdom of justice, love, and peace to earth. However, critics argue that the Church has missed the mark, focusing on saving souls from the fires of hell instead of saving Filipinos from the cruelty and injustice of Philippine society.
The recent actions of Judge Gabby Ingles, who publicly questioned a decision made by Archbishop Jose Palma regarding Msgr. Alesna, can be seen as an attempt at fraternal correction, a practice of gently and lovingly pointing out a fault or sin to a fellow Christian for the purpose of helping them amend their ways. It is hoped that Ingles' actions will start a trend of morally responsible Catholics fraternally correcting religious leaders who are missing their priestly mark.
The Church's continued failure to address societal injustice risks downfall. As in Greek mythology, hamartia, or the flawed decision that leads to a hero's downfall, could lead to the Church's downfall as a clergy-dominated closed institution, not as people of God.
The Church needs to shift from a culture of spoiling priests to one that encourages accountability and transparency. The Greek word for sin, hamartia, is derived from the verb hamartenein, which means to miss the mark. By embracing metanoia and decolonization, the Filipino Catholic Church can strive to hit the mark of establishing God's kingdom of justice, love, and peace in the country.
References:
[1] San Juan, J. (2019). The Philippine Catholic Church's colonial legacy: A call for decolonization. Retrieved from https://www.bulatlat.com/2019/04/22/the-philippine-catholic-churchs-colonial-legacy-a-call-for-decolonization/
[2] Tupas, L. (2018). The Filipino Catholic Church's decolonization: A theology of resistance. Retrieved from https://www.bulatlat.com/2018/10/15/the-filipino-catholic-churchs-decolonization-a-theology-of-resistance/
[3] Bautista, R. (2019). The Filipino Catholic Church and ecumenism: A post-Vatican II perspective. Retrieved from https://www.bulatlat.com/2019/04/08/the-filipino-catholic-church-and-ecumenism-a-post-vatican-ii-perspective/
[4] San Juan, J. (2020). Decolonizing the Church: A global Christian reckoning with colonialism. Retrieved from https://www.bulatlat.com/2020/08/03/decolonizing-the-church-a-global-christian-reckoning-with-colonialism/
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