Notes to the Catholic Church

You have made it your business to be the watchdog of this nation's morality. Recently, one of your bishops commented that morality cannot be surveyed when the news about Pulse Asia's results turned out 69% favoring the Reproductive Health Bill. It must be oh so cool to be the masters of morality, to know unequivocally everything about it.

But you've been too busy appearing in the news, all agog about Pope Benedict's condom condonation, a rug that was pulled out from under your feet. You scampered for meaning, second-guessing the Pope. I am sure one of you called the Vatican for some turn-about statements so you could save your face.

For minding a business that is none of yours, you forget your flock.

When was the last time that you really looked at your churchgoers? Never mind what they do outside the church. Mind only what they do inside it.

Because your people cannot be pulled away from malls, you bring mass into the malls. At Festival Mall in Alabang, masses are held beside the cinemas. How's that for acceptance that time has changed? However, in other areas of belief, you think time stands still.

You prohibit your congregation from wearing their mall attires to church - no sleeveless shirts and blouses, no mini skirts, no shorts for both men and women, no rockstar leather suits, no heavy make-up, etc. You even had posters for this and engaged media to tell us about it. Last Sunday at church, I saw women in shorts, in mini skirt; men in shorts, girls in spaghetti straps. No one bothered them even when they took the communion. If you cannot make your people obey the simple rules, how can you make them not use condoms and contraceptives? How can you make couples stick together? Or married people avoid extra-marital affairs? Or single people shun pre-marital sex?

A lot of your Catholic Women's League chapters have been the source of community gossips and intrigues. Unhealthy competition mars your choirs. Your lay ministries are infested with gnats. A lot of the priests are gays, but then so what?

You see, you have a lot of house cleaning to do. Get out of the news and give us silence, please, if you're not celebrating mass.

Remember the two greatest commandments: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

Go back to those two. Don't tire yourselves acting like little gods.

Don't worry, God Himself will take care of His flock.