CBCP recognizes INC, El Shaddai as emerging church groups

The Roman Catholic Church has recognized the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) and the Catholic prayer group El Shaddai as two "emerging" influential religious groups in the Philippines.

In an interview with reporters, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz said he told a recent Vatican conference that the two religious organizations have become "big factors in the present socio-political situation" because of their large memberships.

"These two groups have become influential in such a way that the politicians would like to win over their support. Their favor is courted by different political parties, especially during elections," he explained.

Cruz said he represented the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) at the synod.

El Shaddai, led by television evangelist Mike Velarde, is estimated to have a following of at least a million people while the INC, headed by Eraño Manalo, has three to 10 million members worldwide.

The Catholic Church remains an influential institution when it comes to moral issues, Cruz said.

However, the Church has become "more careful in talking about politics" because it has been criticized by the Vatican of becoming too involved in political matters.

"Although the CBCP looks only at the moral dimension of socio-political issues, this is confused by a good number of people (with) meddling in politics and the separation of the church and state is invoked," Cruz said.

Bishops and other Church officials these days have been careful in making statements to avoid being seen as taking sides in the political crisis besetting the nation.

Aside from discussing issues confronting the Church, Cruz said bishops at the Vatican synod were also asked to report on the current situation in their respective nations.

"There were those who praised their leaders for doing well and for being morally upright, for having less graft and corruption. When it was my turn I kept quiet. I was silent. I said I begged to be allowed to keep quiet because I might not say the right things," Cruz said.

He declined comment because his beliefs "may not be the perception of everybody and I may not be the standard as far as perception of the government is concerned."

Despite his reticence before the synod, Cruz has been waging a very vocal crusade against illegal gambling, and has been critical of the Arroyo administration, particularly over accusations that President Arroyo’s husband, eldest son and brother-in-law took payoffs from jueteng barons.

Mrs. Arroyo was also loosely linked to an alleged jueteng operator.

The bribery allegations came amid accusations that Mrs. Arroyo cheated her way to victory in last year’s presidential race.

Her administration is currently locked in a protracted battle with the opposition after her allies in the House of Representatives quashed an impeachment complaint against her on charges of vote-rigging last September.

In October, in a rare show of solidarity, the Iglesia ni Cristo and the El Shaddai appealed to the administration and opposition to "set aside their political interests" and "immediately attend to their duty of alleviating the suffering of the Filipino people, for which they were put into office."

"We also believe that the efforts to resolve these should not consume the greater part of their time and energy such that the pressing needs of our people are left virtually neglected," they said in their statement.

Despite the separation of church and state, politicians running for office seek the endorsement of the El Shaddai and Iglesia ni Cristo as well as that of the Roman Catholic church in the hope that it would secure votes.

El Shaddai and Iglesia ni Cristo are believed to vote as a bloc in elections.

In September, the CBCP issued a pastoral letter discouraging its flock from joining anti-Arroyo rallies following the failed impeachment bid.

It urged Filipinos to "now move forward and address the more important and urgent problem of grinding poverty of our people, which is caused by excessive politicking."

The electoral fraud allegations against Mrs. Arroyo should be pursued through legal and peaceful means, the CBCP said.

The Catholic Church has traditionally played a powerful political role in this predominantly Catholic nation. It was at the forefront of the "people power" revolts that toppled Ferdinand Marcos in 1986 and Joseph Estrada in 2001.

Cruz said Mrs. Arroyo must show that she is serious in curbing corruption with her choice for the next Supreme Court chief justice and ombudsman.

Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. is retiring next month while Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo is leaving today.

"The moment these two posts are filled up with personalities with political affiliation or dubious credentials, then we have a problem in addition to the many problems of the country," Cruz said.

Meanwhile, the CBCP will hold a three-day international conference on bioethics next month at the University of Santo Tomas. Officials from the Vatican will attend.

The Catholic Church opposes stem cell research and cloning, viewing them as immoral because it goes against nature.

The Dec. 5-7 conference will discuss the moral issues surrounding bioethics. — With Eva Visperas