Is CBCP anti-Christ?

Christianity is founded on love. It espouses the doctrine of loving thy neighbor, not judging others, and forgiveness.

However, the way the Philippine Catholic Church has been acting is the total opposite of what Christianity preaches. It refuses to forgive (Marcos burial issue). It judges Duterte but turns a blind eye on the immorality of De Lima. And it divides instead of unites.

Why is this so? Ever since the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines, the Catholic Church has been a part of the lives of most Filipinos and it has also been very influential in our country. The power of the Catholic Church is one of the things Jose Rizal fought against because the Church was able to use its power and influence in Spain to dictate who should be the Governor General of the Philippines. Because of this they accused Jose Rizal of being a cultist and an enemy who was going against the teachings of the church. You should know that back then fighting against the church could cost you your life or you could be excommunicated.

One of the notable persons who were excommunicated for fighting against the church was Martin Luther. He fought against the corrupt practice where people must pay for the forgiveness of their sins and for their soul to go to heaven. These are just some instances where the Church used its influence and abuse its power. The question now is, did it stop?

Looking back at EDSA 1, which forced the then Pres. Ferdinand Marcos to step down from power, Cardinal Sin was one of those who greatly influenced the people and caused the inauguration of Cory Aquino as the 11th President of the Philippines. They created an image that presented the Aquinos as the savior of our country and therefore the people again trusted and voted Noynoy Aquino as their president and leader in the 2010 election even if he did nothing. They hoped that Noynoy would save this country once again. So, what would they gain by allying themselves with the Aquinos? Let’s not forget that the church is an organization wherein they have no tax. Allegedly, they have investments from the oligarchs who are being protected by the Aquinos. In the end, it seems like it’s all about the money. Catholic Church without money is a dying church, it has lost a lot of followers due to some issues surrounding some of their priests.

It’s just saddening to see that the church that is supposed to teach unconditional love is encouraging hate and anger toward a dead person. Yes, the Marcoses should be held liable for the crimes they have allegedly committed but that is the job for the government and not the Church’s. The Church’s purpose should be teaching people about love for God and love for one another. It also says in the Bible, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 john 4:8).Now if the very nature of God is love, then why does his “messengers” preach the opposite which is hate and forgiving with conditions? If they will claim that they’re fighting for what is right, then why don’t they speak against Sen. De Lima and her affair with Ronnie Dayan who is married? Why do they focus on the inappropriate jokes and remarks of President Duterte? Why do they bring up “Thou shall not kill” with regards to the “EJK” issue but quiet on De Lima’s affair which is against “Thou shall not commit adultery”?

Last week, through my blog, I answered a post of a La Salle brother about forgiveness. He said: “FORGIVE THE MARCOSES? But how? They have not admitted to any wrongdoing. They have not returned all that they have stolen. They have not apologized to the victims of their martial rule.”

Now, should forgiveness come with a condition? If I ask you, do we have to wait for our enemies to ask for forgiveness before we forgive them? I believe that the answer is in Matthew 6: 14-15: “14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15: But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” If Jesus himself can forgive his enemies and even asked his Father “forgive them for they do not know what they are doing”…if Jesus himself can forgive regardless of whether they asked for it or not, then who are we to deny that to our enemies?

In conclusion, it is also written in the scriptures that there are wolves in sheep’s clothing (“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. Mt 7:15”). They claim to be messengers of God but they are teaching hate, rebellion and self-interest. It is clearly stated that these False Prophets who have the spirit of anti-Christ are pretenders to be light and teaching things that are opposite of the teachings of Christ. The question is: if the False Prophets preach hate and rebellion and not love, what does the CBCP and some other priests teach? Love, forgiveness, or hate?