Not very long ago, the Iglesia Ni Cristo celebrated an important church occasion nationwide. The Catholics and other denominations noticed such activity. The INC picked strategic cities throughout the country where the activities were held in awesome mood. The occasion showed the great membership following that the church has. In the chosen areas of its celebration, thousands upon thousands of the members of the church attended. While I did not personally know what they were doing, their numbers impressed me.
During its function, the church demonstrated organizational savvy. Fleets of vehicles transported its members in precise maneuvers not quite unlike tactical military operations. For instance, the designation of pick up points and drop off centers necessitated a deep understanding of manpower needs, logistical requirement and accurate facility accessibility.
On top of the smooth movements of its members, the church showed the kind of social heart that churches are ought to be. Rather than ask its members to be more generous in order make its celebration functional, its leaders decided a different, if not a novel, approach. It was heartening to observe that the church extended to the members material assistance and perhaps, not the other way around.
I talk about this observation, quite belatedly because of a comparable news story I read a few days after the October 15 earthquake. To be sure, it was not a headline item. In fact, it was an inside story whose significance could easily be overlooked unless the reader had time to read it again.
According to the report, the Roman Catholic Church and Spain (I could not be specific if it was a Spanish governmental agency or some private organization in Spain) are planning to rehabilitate the churches that were destroyed by the earthquake. The tact is innovative as it is realistic. It somehow delineates a new strategy. If this is a concrete plan, the church is moving in the correct direction.
We are aware that in Cebu and more woefully, in Bohol province, several of such historic Roman Catholic churches were affected by the tremor. As an example, the belfry of our very own Basilica del Santo Niño, fell to the ground, probably due more to the weight of the bell, than to its age. The Catholic churches in Bohol, though, bore the brunt of the quake. Images of completely wrecked edifices clearly point to the need of building new ones. They could not just be repaired anymore.
Sadly, almost everyone suffered the devastation wrought by the earthquake. Homes of some members of the Catholic Church completely crumpled to the ground. The houses of those luckier ones that might have escaped total destruction but they had to be repaired.
In these times, Boholanos, Catholics and non-Catholics, are not just traumatized by the unprecedented undulating movement of mother earth. They are reeling from unimaginable economic displacement. While a government official in that province said that his constituents are not beggars, perhaps out of a sudden display of emotion, the fact remains that most, if not all of them need some assistance of some kind.
The day-to-day existence of many Boholanos had to rely upon the generosity of others. Many civic-minded people from the region and the world have arrived in droves in the small island to give out food, water and basic necessities. Filipinos all over the world have also directed help to their relatives in Bohol in the form of monetary donations and intercessions. But while help has come to Boholanos, help has yet to come to the damaged churches.
Once the dust has finally settled, and the aftershocks have finally stopped, the greater problem that looms for Boholanos is this: How long will it take for the reconstruction for the churches to take place?
A haunting video of the Loboc Children's Choir singing "The Prayer" in front of the rubble of the Loboc Church two days after the quake sent a strong message to this vastly Catholic country. While we raise our heads in prayer for the Almighty to deliver us from this calamity, we also call out to the Church to help rebuild Bohol's churches after all the destruction the quakes have brought.
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E-mail: aa.piramide@gmail.com.