Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Abellanosa HAPAG
Abellanosa HAPAG
INTRODUCTION
1
Apostolican Actuositatem [AA], 1 and 3.
2
Ibid., 3.
3
Lumen Gentium [LG], 33. Also pars. 9, 10, 14.
4
AA, 7.
5
Reverberating the Council’s renewed theology of the laity, Bernard Haring
explains that the place of laypeople in the Church cannot [just] be explained
primarily on a negative basis, that is by describing who or what they are not. The
Redemptorist theologian argues that a better way of describing them is as “active
members of the people of God” and are “accepted in the mystery of unity by service
and by testimony of the apostles and their successors.” See Bernard Haring, The
Johannine Council (New York: Herder and Herder, 1963), 92. Richard McBrien’s
REMARKS ON METHOD
frames the role of the laity in one of Vatican II’s ecclesiological themes that is the
Church as the People of God. He clarifies that by virtue of their baptism, laypeople
share in the threefold office of Christ and are not to be conceived as delegated
participants in the ministry of the hierarchy. Like Haring, McBrien affirms
Vatican II’s teachings on laypeople as direct sharers in the mission of the Church
through baptism and confirmation and then communicated and nourished by the
Eucharist. See Richard McBrien, The Church: The Evolution of Catholicism (New
York: Harper One, 2008), 166. For the magisterial texts see Christifideles Laici [CL]
esp. pars. 9-15, 23 (ministries), 24 (charisms), and 25 (participation); also, Evangelii
Gaudium [EG], 199-121.
6
I am aware that there is an abundance of Church documents on the laity
but I would like to make it clear that it is not my interest to look into these
documents and repeat their claims. This position does not in any way undermine
the pastoral or hortatory value of these documents. Rather, it is my position that
the documents speak of the ‘normative’ desire/s of the Church – but these dreams
or goals of the Church have not been necessarily translated into the very realities
they aspire, and neither are the current realities of the Church the ones being
described by the documents.
7
See his Letter to Cardinal Marc Ouellet, https://www.vatican.va/content/
francesco/en/letters/2016/documents/papa-francesco_20160319_pont-comm-
america-latina.html
8
EG, 231-232.
RHODERICK JOHN S. ABELLANOSA
complexities in two main areas: first, at the parish level where the
rather common forms of lay ministries and involvements are found,
and second, in the field of public participation. Wrapping up the
analysis is a critique of what this paper would call ecclesial elitism
among laypeople, part of which is the clericalism of the laity.
12
Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, “Filipino Catholic Laity:
Called to Be Saints… Sent Forth as Heroes!” in CBCP Online,
https://cbcponline.net/filipino-catholic-laity-called-to-be-saints-sent-forth-as-
heroes/.
13
Acts and Decrees of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (Pasay:
St. Paul, 1994), 598. Henceforth PCP II.
14
John Paul II’s CL, pars. 26-29, underscores the importance of the parish in
the life and vocation of the lay faithful. However, I find it rather limited if we just
theologize such a vocation without a critique of the realities of parish life.
Theology cannot just speak about the parish in its notional manner devoid of
pastoral realities.
15
Interview with a Pastoral Worker [name withheld]. Response to the author,
17 January 2023.
RHODERICK JOHN S. ABELLANOSA
16
Interview with a Caritas Worker [name withheld]. Response to the author,
17 January 2023.
17
Interview with a Pastoral Worker [name withheld]. Response to the author,
17 January 2023. When asked to comment on his views on the role of the Council
THE MANY LAYERS OF THE LAITY
of the Laity, the interviewee adds: “I can say that the council does not really
represent the people especially those who are on the margins. There is a wide gap
between the council and the people that even makes the entire membership of the
council so detached from what is really the [pastoral] needs of the people in the
different parishes.”
18
Aloysius Cartagenas, Becoming a Leaven of Society, the Catholic Church and
Philippine Politics in the Light of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (Quezon
City: Claretian Publications, 2014), 81.
19
Church teaching is clear that a significant area where lay people have an
important vocation and mission by virtue of their baptism is in the field of politics.
The evangelization of politics through active participation based on the Gospel
values is constitutive of the laity’s share in the threefold office of Christ. See AA,
20a and 24. Also see CL 15. For the Philippine context, see PCP II, title X, art.
42.
RHODERICK JOHN S. ABELLANOSA
20
To these groups mentioned by Cartagenas in his book, we may add those
that have been listed in the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas which is under the
Episcopal Commission on the Laity: Adoracion Nocturna, Apostelship of Prayer,
Catholic Youth Organization, Christian Life Community of the Philippines, etc.
See Directory of Lay Organizations and Councils of the Laity,
https://www.cbcplaiko.org/members classified and categorized by the mediating
structures and power-relations that operate within Church bureaucracy-
directory/affiliate-national-lay-organizations-2/
21
To date, two well-researched materials on the El Shaddai may be used as a
reference for an in-depth exploration and/or treatment of the group’s background,
THE MANY LAYERS OF THE LAITY
Catholic hierarchy; in
a way, it is not Church-
mandated. Unlike the
long-arm type, the
members’ obedience is
practically directed to
the leader and the
loyalty he commands.
Although guided by a
bishop or a spiritual
director, its teachings
(doctrine and morals)
are not entirely or
exactly aligned with
the official teaching/s
of the Church. It has
its own sphere of
influence in politics,
and may even be
sought for
endorsement by
politicians.
Charismatic- Unlike the long-arm CFC or Couples
renewing22 and populist types, for Christ
these groups do not
rely on the hierarchy or
on populism. Their
bond revolves around
the belief in the role of
the Holy Spirit in their
lives. They have their
role, and influence in Philippine politics: Christl Kessler and Jurgen Ruland, Give
Jesus a Hand: Charismatic Christians: Populist Religion and Politics in the Philippines
(Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press, 2008), and Katharine Wiegele,
Investing in Miracles: El Shaddai and the Transformation of Popular Catholicism in the
Philippines (Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press, 2007).
22
Not mentioned by Cartagenas but Bo Sanchez and Light of Jesus Ministry
that is associated with him may be identified as one.
RHODERICK JOHN S. ABELLANOSA
own (internal)
ministries and systems
(in a way resembling
the Church hierarchy).
Groups of this type do
not shy away from
political involvement.
Faith- Avoids undue Gawad Kalinga
inspired dependence on the C-CIMPEL
hierarchy. Although (Cebu Citizens
they remain integral in Movement for
the Body of Christ, People
their identity and Empowerment
historical projects take and Liberation)23
precedence over their
Roman Catholic
affiliation.
Table 1. Typology of Lay Groups. Based on A. Cartagenas’
Leaven of Society
23
I may not be in full agreement with Cartagenas’ classification of C-CIMPEL
as faith-inspired although I understand that in its beginnings, it may really have a
certain extent of independence from the hierarchy. However, much study has to
be made insofar as the current status of the group especially in terms of the
sustainability and the impact of their efforts. At the time of this writing, the
Archdiocese of Cebu is consolidating all groups in its jurisdiction that are into
social action, and thus classifiable under the supervision of the Archdiocese’s
Commission on Service. It would be interesting to know or investigate whether
under this set-up, C-CIMPEL would still maintain or enjoy the same degree of
autonomy from the clergy.
24
Cartagenas, Becoming a Leaven of Society, 89.
THE MANY LAYERS OF THE LAITY
25
Emmanuel de Guzman, “Philippine Transparochial Communities: Forces
of Renewal or Blocs of Resistance in the Church of the Poor,” in E. Genilo et al,
The Second Plenary Council of the Philippines: Quo Vadis? (Quezon City: Ateneo de
Manila University Press, 2015), 77.
RHODERICK JOHN S. ABELLANOSA
29
One may check the directory of the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas which is
under the Episcopal Commission on the Laity: Adoracion Nocturna, Apostelship of
Prayer, Catholic Youth Organization, Christian Life Community of the
Philippines, etc. See Directory of Lay Organizations and Councils of the Laity,
available online: https://www.cbcplaiko.org/members-directory/affiliate-national-
lay-organizations-2/
RHODERICK JOHN S. ABELLANOSA
CONCLUSION
30
See Yves Congar, Power and Poverty in the Church (Baltimore: Helicon,
1964), 139.
31
T. Groome, “Good Governance, the Domestic Church, and Religious
Education,” in S. Pope, A Common Calling: The Laity and Governance of the Catholic
Church (Washington DC: Georgetown, 2004), 197-198.
THE MANY LAYERS OF THE LAITY
32
It is worth noting that PCP II as early as 1991 emphasized the role of the
laity in social transformation in their specific station in life. However, the
statement of the Council is, I would say, more prescriptive rather than descriptive
of a pastoral reality. PCP II, 437.
33
Again, F. Claver’s point on this is an apt reflection: “Hence, in using the
phrase ‘empowering the laity’… we always had to point out that it meant enabling
the laity to do what they ought to be doing in our common vocation to discipleship
in Christ.” See F. Claver, The Making of a Local Church (Quezon City: Claretian
Publications and Jesuit Communications, 2009), 201.
RHODERICK JOHN S. ABELLANOSA
34
It is again, important to highlight that this paper is not merely a critique of
the clergy and their clericalism or elitism understood in one-directional terms. This
paper also critiques the contribution of the laity especially those who have become
sharers in the Church’s authority, thereby making their own truth regimes. Let’s
take Ogden’s words to support this contention: “In the Church, for example, a
leader has a ministry of oversight over the discursive practices of faith
communities. In this context, the leader’s authority is reinforced by non-discursive
practices like ordination or a commissioning. Moreover, at least implicitly, church
leaders believe they have been granted a God’s eye view, by virtue of their calling .
. . As a consequence, knowledge is at risk of being appropriated ‘marking out a
territory in thought and inscribing it in the real, topographizing it, investing it with
powers, bounding it by exclusions, defining who or what can rightfully enter’ . . .
In this context, the guardian of tradition takes custody of truth (cf. “the sovereignty
of knowledge”). The problem, however, is not so much the errant behaviour of a
handful of leaders, but rather, the subject formation of leaders and followers, and
the dynamic between them. In other words, under sovereign power, this is an
ecclesial culture where leaders are formed to believe they are the final, even sole,
arbiters of truth. In other words, the subject, freedom, and power-knowledge with
the blessing of the faithful, the leaders have become the “privileged readers” of
Scriptures, tradition, and doctrine. See Ogden, The Church, Authority, and Foucault,
41 – 42 (emphasis supplied).
35
CBCP, “CBCP message on start of synodal process: Jesus walked with them
(Luke 24:15),” LiCas News Philippines, https://philippines.licas.news
/2021/10/11/cbcp-message-on-start-of-synodal-process-jesus-walked-with-them-
luke-2415/
THE MANY LAYERS OF THE LAITY
them closer to the Good News: Jesus? We may have to ask how the
consultation among the laity is done? Of is the Philippine Church
again recycling its participants from the diocesan councils of the
laity and other mandated groups?
Both the clergy and their active lay collaborators need to
acknowledge some missing links in the so-called post-Vatican II lay
empowerment such as the opportunities and spaces of inclusion for
Catholics who are not within the immediate network of the
Church. This will happen if there is a sustained critique of lay
empowerment as not being able to include those who are baptized
but do not have connections with the Church and more so those
who are not at home with their own bishops and priests. Beyond
the limitations of well-drawn ecclesiastical jurisdictions, those who
are actively serving the Church must dialogue with those who are
in the secular realms of modern society including the academe and
the industry. Another layer of the laity that deserves attention iare
those who do not want to serve and pray with the Church because
they were victims of abuse or simply repelled by scandals.36 s
It is said that the only politics that there should be in the
Church is the “politics of communion.”37 This is where a theology
of the laity whose objective is to liberate the laity and lay
empowerment from an elitist and clericalist view would need a
theology of power. After all, we also need to say something on
power itself if we are to truthfully review the very notion of em-
36
A good reading or reference for this is T. Nichols’ “Participatory
Hierarchy”, in S. Pope, A Common Calling: The Laity and Governance of the Catholic
Church (Washington DC: Georgetown, 2004), 111-126. To cite a line from the
author: “Other such structural changes also need to be considered, including more
effective lay participation in decisions at the diocesan level. Participatory hierarchy,
however, is not just a matter of structure. It is also a matter of style. Even within
present structures, a bishop or priest who is willing to listen, consult, and accept
advice can be a very effective pastor” (p. 123). Applying Nichols’ contention, it is
no guarantee that the Church will be more participatory if laypeople will become
part of its governance, for even if they are, participatory won’t be possible if their
mindset or ‘style’ is essentially clericalist and thus elitist (and we have seen many
of this in the Philippines).
37
Just to acknowledge the use of the phrase or expression elsewhere, Politics
of Communion is also a title of a book written by Anna Rowlands, Towards a
Politics of Communion: Catholic Social Teaching in Dark Times (London:
Bloomsbury, 2021). Although Luis Antonio Tagle mentioned this in a talk given
in KUL Belgium during LEST X (October 2015).
RHODERICK JOHN S. ABELLANOSA
38
Can the Church run away from power? Are we to disempower the clergy
in order to empower the laity? These are not the right questions to ask. Like any
given human reality within the Church, power however must be subject to
reflection and discernment. In the end, we can only do so much in our systemic
arrangements and in our theologizing of power-relations. Ultimately, we have to
subject even our management and theology of power to discernment; God himself
is the source of all power – his Spirit alone can guide us into the truth of what it
means to live, pray, and serve in the context of our power-relations. Here I find
Francisco Claver’s words so insightful (even though he may not have thought of
his ecclesiological reflections in Foucauldian terms): “The only thing that is clear
to me is that we have to move from discernment to discernment on the subject of
power and its exercise in the church – openly confront it but in a discerning,
prayerful mode. There will be, I am confident, a growth of consciousness in that
process as to how far the exercise of power on the part of power-holders will go
and what the laity’s role in the same exercise of that same power will be.” See F.
Claver, The Making of a Local Church, 201.
39
N. King, “Theology and Power: A Biblical Perspective,” eds., Stephen
Bullivant et al Theology and Power (New York, Paulist, 2016), 4.
40
F. Merlo, “Cardinal Schonborn: the synodal process asks us to listen, to
share, to discern,” Vatican News https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-
city/news/2021-10/cardinal-schonborn-interview-vatican-news-synod-
synodality.html.
THE MANY LAYERS OF THE LAITY