Free for Greater Service

BY baptism we enter the fellowship of believers. We become members of the Church, which is both a spiritual and a temporal entity. The Church is our family in the faith. Being part of the family each one of us is to support it, both materially and spiritually. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “The faithful have the duty of providing for the material needs of the Church, each according to his abilities.” (CCC #2043) The Code of Canon Law, which is the law of the Church, also says: “Christ’s faithful have the obligation to provide for the needs of the Church, so that the Church has available to it those things which are necessary for divine worship, for apostolic and charitable work and for the worthy support of its ministers.” (CCL 222) These teachings are grounded on the Scriptures which tell us that we support those who proclaim the Good News to us.

·      “It is written in the law of Moses, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.’ Is God concerned about oxen, or is he not really speaking for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope, and the thresher in hope of receiving a share. If we have sown spiritual seed for you, is it a great thing that we reap a material harvest from you?” (1 Cor 9:9-11)

·      “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing,’ and ‘The laborer is worthy of his wages.’” (1 Tim 5:17-18)

How the Church is supported by the faithful has evolved in history and is exercised in different ways:

·      Before, in the Philippines during the Spanish period, by the Patronato Real System. The Spanish crown materially supported the work of the missionaries.

·      In Germany even in our days, by taxes taken by the government from the faithful and given to their Church.

·      In the Philippines now, by the Arancel System, that is, fixed amount whether seen as dues or donations, given for certain services rendered. The amount is attached to the service requested.

·      Many religious groups now in the Philippines now make use of the tithing system or the pledge system to maintain their operations.

During the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines in 1991, after much debate, the body came out with this decree: “Tithing, after a good pastoral catechesis, shall be introduced with the end in view of the gradual abolition of the Arancel System.” (PCP II decree 118) That was 28 years ago!

Why the move away from the Arancel System?

·      Many get the impression that the services of the Church are for sale because of the amount attached to it. We cannot avoid this perception in our highly commercialized mentality.

·      Many poor are kept away or shy away from receiving the services of the Church because of the amount attached. Although the amount does not comprise all the expenses people put into the celebrations, which has become a social event in the family, nonetheless they add to the cost.

·      People perceive favoritism towards the rich because they have the means to pay. The rich have no difficulty meeting these obligations even if we raise the amount to discourage “special” considerations. They can always afford our “special baptisms” or “special marriages.”

·      This system of the arancel is open to many abuses and misperception, even in our parishes.

Pope Francis asks that “in every Christian community the poor feel at home. Would not this approach be the greatest and most effective presentation of the good news of the kingdom?” (Evangelii Gaudium 199) He wrote that “the worst discrimination which the poor suffer is the lack of spiritual care. The great majority of the poor have a special openness to the faith; they need God and we must not fail to offer them his friendship, his blessing, his word, the celebration of the sacraments and a journey of growth and maturity in the faith. (Evangelii Gaudium 200) In fact he emphatically stated: “Our preferential option for the poor must mainly translate into a privileged and preferential religious care.” (Evangelii Gaudium 200) We manifest this preferential religious care by making available to them all the services of the Church for free.

As Church in the Philippines we affirm the decree of the PCP II to abolish the arancel and we strive that this be our situation by the time we celebrate the 500th anniversary of the coming of the Christian faith in the country in 2021.

Required for this shift to happen?

1. Adequate catechesis both for priests and lay faithful. This catechesis promotes

the spirituality of stewardship and evangelical poverty for all, including the priests, because the Church of the Poor embraces and practices the spirit of evangelical poverty; it combines detachment from possessions with profound trust to the Lord.

2. Transparency in our churches and organizations. The people will gladly and generously support the Church and its activities when they are made to feel that the Church is their family. They know the situation of their family and its programs.

3. Improved services to the people in our parishes. When the people feel that they are welcomed, served, and nourished by the Church, they will support it.

Let us courageously serve the Church and make the people be responsible for the work of the Kingdom, trusting in the promise of Jesus: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.” (Mt 6:33)