No Fees for one’s faith

CEBU, Philippines - There’s a church that does not collect or ask for contributions from its members – the Catholic Church Preparing for the Parousia, or CCPP.

This church does not seek any monetary support from its members because its sole purpose is to remind everyone about the Parousia or the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ at the end of the world, or at the end of each one’s life.

The one who spearheads the cause does not want to get rich out of the message contained in Matt.25:31-46. He does not want to take advantage of this insight about the only question which will be asked during the Parousia in order to collect money from people.

Some of the CCPP leader’s students posed the following questions to this writer regarding the movement which he is spearheading:

Question: “Is the CCPP a religion?”

Answer: If the term “religion” is in small letters and in quotation marks, the CCPP is not a “religion” because it is universal, meaning not belonging to any particular sect or religious team.  If the term is in capital letters and without quotation marks, then the CCPP is a RELIGION. For, there is only ONE RELIGION and it is the loving relation with our heavenly FATHER.

Question: If one wants to join the movement, what should he or she do? Is there any initiation of some sort? Or any membership fee?

Answer: CCPP does not intend to proselytize anybody to any particular “religion.”  Although I was born a Roman Catholic, studied its doctrines in the seminary, and preached it from the pulpit while yet in the active ministry of the Roman Catholic priesthood for 11 years, I do not want to convert anyone to this particular ”religion.” I am encouraging everyone, though, to practice RELIGION within the framework of whatever religious denomination they belong to.

There is no special initiation rite nor any membership fee.  You see, when we start collecting money, we will cause raised eyebrows.  In my particular case, people might say that I am just repeating my experience while in the active ministry of the Roman Catholic priesthood, where “patay o buhi, sapi sa pari” – whether people are alive or dead, everyone contribute to the priest’s income. (FREEMAN)