Unholies

I've lately been at odds with my religion, Catholicism. In my country alone, too many priests are being accused of being involved in sex scandals and other illicit liaisons and activities. Just a trifle too many for my comfort. A bishop was once accused of unwanted, sexually-implicit touching by no less than one of his staff. He denied it, of course, in full media splendor. Then he hied off to an undisclosed location in the United States, to let the heat dissipate, so to speak. Nothing came out of the incident; it died a natural death, like all news events not followed up. And this bishop is back, allying himself with a prominent lay Catholic preacher, who dons funny-looking, checkered clown suits, and holds the mike a la Tom Jones. I smell an unholy alliance between these two supposed religious and moral stalwarts. The bishop lends credence and the Catholic Church's recognition to the lay preacher's group, and I'm certain the bishop receives incentives that are to him heavenly, but not exactly from Heaven. The charismatic lay leader is an astute businessman, owns mansions and prime real estate, and presides over an empire of gullible followers, handkerchiefs with printed prayers on them, fans, healing oils, umbrellas, tees, etc., all in the name of The Almighty. He uses Bible verses as effective sales presentation, and the gullibles take them hook, line, and sinker. His style of leading is cultish, like Jesus himself, but I sense that he has a hidden, sinister agenda. His group's sheer numbers hold the Church hostage.

Some years back, a young, handsome Catholic priest was cited for public indecency. He was caught in the act by policemen, in his car, necking with a woman of his parish. I couldn't recall if the woman was married or not, but I believe it didn't matter. Her civil status had no bearing on the gravity of his sin. This story, too, died a natural death. Stories about priests and other men of God who fall into serious sin die natural deaths due either to people not following the events up, or the big bosses in the Church covering them up. The latter happens more frequently now.

Then there was this healing priest, whose famousness ranged far and wide. I had respect for this man of the cloth, until an equally famous journalist, who probably was disillusioned as I am right now, produced a short documentary on this priest. His lifestyle looked as if he renounced his vow of poverty: He was living in a condominium with a view of the world-famous Manila Bay sunset, furnished with expensive antique furniture; and went around in a chauffeured Mercedes. After watching that documentary, I vowed that if I should ever become afflicted with a debilitating or terminal disease, I would prefer going to a witch doctor than to this priest. Whatever became of him, I don't know. Even if he lost his following because of the documentary, I'm certain he could live very comfortably until The Almighty Lord takes his life away. But I think the story died a natural death, too. Most probably, this priest has become richer. The Catholic Church and its minions, by the way, are exempt from paying any and all forms of taxes.

More recently, a priest was in the news because of his involvement in the illicit ivory trade. Moreover, it was exposed that this priest escaped back to the country from the United States, where there is a warrant for his arrest, for seducing and engaging minors in sexual acts, two altar boys in the parish where he served for many years! The thing that angers me the most is that this farce-of-a-priest's superiors are attempting to minimise the whole affair, calling it a case of biased reporting and a move to put the entire Catholic Church in a bad light, a conspiracy hatched by no less than its enemies, the proponents of the Reproductive Health Bill. The sexually-deviant priest is allowed to retain all his priestly faculties, including celebrating mass, and consequently being in contact with altar boys. This priest belongs to a politically-powerful and wealthy family in his region. The story, I believe, has started dying a natural death, too, and I believe I'll live to see the day that this priest becomes a bishop.

It's only religion, I say. To hell with it. Ten years of Catholic schooling can't prevent me from bolting this sick Church. I relish the words of a Catholic nun who is pro-Reproductive Health Bill: When you die, you will not be before the judgment of these bishops and priests, but before the judgment of The Lord. Way to go, sister. Hooray.

I'm free from my religion, but my faith is intact. Only now have I realized these are two separate, distinct things that went together nicely when I was still young and naive, but which became more and more incongruous in the light of religion's fallibilities and cover-ups.