Fake or Real Catholic

When I read the latest Statement of the Diocese of San Pablo City from the CBCP News two days ago about “Fake Catholics who are supporting the Reproductive Health Bill in Laguna” I cannot find the words to describe my feeling towards this. I pity the spokesperson for releasing this message and pity the one who wrote the statement.

I am a Catholic, I am serving my community well, they even appointed me as the chair Hermana for our town Parish Church for Flores De Maria for this 2011 and I am supporting the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill. If supporting the Reproductive Health Bill makes me a “Fake Catholic?” So what is a “Real Catholic?”

I was born catholic and so are my sisters, parents and relatives. Now it gives me time to research and find out why such name calling from the alleged righteous groups? I told this to my Mother who was a kindergarten teacher from Liceo De Calauan for 15 years. The school is owned and operated by the Diocese of San Pablo and located in Calauan, Laguna. My mother just laughed and told me that they are absurd. She said it’s like branding or profiling usually used for identifying a terrorist.

Catholics are the followers and believers of Jesus Christ who is the son of God. From the dictionary, The word catholic (derived via Late Late latin catholicus, from the Greek adjective ????????? (katholikos), meaning “universal) comes from the Greek phrase (kath’holou), meaning “on the whole,” “according to the whole” or “in general”, and is a combination of the Greek words ???? meaning “about” and ???? meaning “whole” The word in English can mean either “including a wide variety of things; all-embracing” or “of the Roman Catholic faith.” as “relating to the historic doctrine and practice of the Western Church.”

If the word in English might have a different meaning or definition or more so interpretation, then who will gives us the correct definition of the words “True Catholics or Real Catholics?” . While searching the words online, I came across with these:

“The Catholic Church is not just another denomination within Christianity, it is the universal community established by Jesus. The word catholic literally means “universal.” Catholic has its origins in Greek from kata meaning “concerning” and holou meaning “whole” thus “concerning the whole” or universal.

“The Catholic Church is universal in that it is intended for all people, for all time, and is appropriate in every circumstance of human life. The term catholic was first used to describe the original Christian community after the time of Jesus by Ignatius of Antioch (35-107 A.D.) in his letter to the Smyrneans (8, 2).”

With the words “Universal”, “Whole” and “Concerning” does it mean that a “Real Catholic must be aware of what’s happening all around the universe or to make it simple to his community? Let’s say we are not talking about the controversial bill which the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines is so against. Let’s say we are talking about the popular and expensive In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) to have a child because of the difficulty in pregnancy due to Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, This process is also artificial and will only be possible with the help of Endocrinologist who is working in a Reproductive Health Clinic using injections and pills to equalize or normalize the estrogen level . If this will be the case, for a person who thinks she is a catholic all her life with the complete Binyag, Kumpil at Kasal sa Simbahang Katoliko, is she a “Real or True Catholic?.”

We all know what happened to General Angelo Reyes who committed suicide in front of his mother’s grave. Suicide is a mortal sin based from the teaching of the Catholic Church and yet a priest gave a mass for him which like accepting what he did. From the dictionary, According to the theology of the Catholic Church, death by suicide is considered a grave or serious sin. The chief Catholic Christian argument is that one’s life is the property of God and a gift to the world, and to destroy that life is to wrongly assert dominion over what is God’s and is a tragic loss of hope. NOTE: in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Number 2283 states, “We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives.”

If general Angelo Reyes who committed suicide which is considered by catholic as grave or serious sin, why such acceptance? Was he a “True Catholic” because of his past achievements? Who are they to tell us who and what are we? Do they know what happens in their private lives? Does name calling like “Fake Catholics” be considered as the doing of a “Real Catholic?.”