BEING THE CHURCH OF TODAY

BEING THE CHURCH OF TODAY
Fr. Ranulfo T. Salise, CS

The main intent of this short reflection is to attempt to share my observation and suggestions as baptized and ordained minister of the Church to help change the structure of the church today which had for so long now been bearing the image of its fallen ministers. I share this sentiment to those people who say that the Church needs structural reform.
At this point in time, I believe one of the best ways to help transform the structure of the Church is to help the Church its essence as a Church in the midst of modernity as well as its understanding of reality and life. The Church would be able to gain respect and moral authority with people if it truly lives and struggles with the poor, the least, the weak and the lost in our society and has justice done for the marginalized groups and the oppressed. To name a few, we have the migrants and the victims of human trafficking (the marginalized groups of the modern world) seeking redress through the help of the people of good will willing to pursue to be the voice of the voiceless.
Based on my own observation, I noticed that the church has the tendency separate its theory and theological reflection from its PRAXIS. The consequence of this is a propagation or perpetration of sick Christians in the Church. Christians who are only good at practicing their faith but very weak in living their faith by doing something for what they believe. We need to have a collectively renewed faith to be able to usher in a collaborative effort to affect and effect change in the structure of the Church. The Church should be faithful still in the long run to the Gospel imperative which is the love of our neighbor as we love ourselves. The neighbors can the strangers and the migrants.
As a religious missionary priest working for the protection and the promotion of the rights and the welfare of the migrants and seafarers, I see the importance of presenting to the laity the true identity of the Church so that they will have a clear and enriched participation in the affairs of the Church. The question that up until now has been bothering me is, how much participation do we really allow for the laity so that they will have a voice in the Church. Consequently, they can later on stand to be the voice of the voiceless. We need to stop making laws in the Church for the laity without consulting them first, because they are the once who will live them conscientiously.
What ought to be the Church of today? I believe the Church of today ought to be sensitive to the human and spiritual needs of its members but should also live up to the values of justice, equality and inclusion so that we can also take care not only of our own but welcome and also care for others belonging to another religion.
Any reform should take place first and foremost within the Church and in the formative level of our future ministers. They should be given primacy in their initial stage of formation. We need a kind of a Church today that is responsive to the needs of the oppressed and the marginalized, a Church that is consultative in nature and all embracing in its apostolate and mission like what Stella Maris-AOS International Service Center as Catholic institution is trying live and uphold. The Church should preach by example.
As a Church let us not forget that we cannot afford to live in isolation from the culture of the people we are serving. Say for example the unique and emerging culture of the migrants, including the religious differences that characterize the elements and forms of challenges the missionaries for the migrants have to be prepared.
What we need is truly a conscious effort to know the struggle of the people. We need also to be inclusive in our language and open for “the dialogue of life,” and the dialogue with other cultures and religious traditions.
Lastly, I would like to stress that reform should not always be coming from the hierarchy. The laity should also take bold action not only in a collective sense but also in a personal level. A conscious effort should also be coming from me. “It is not enough that we have faith, but it is necessary for us to do something for that faith.”