Solidarity

AS I WAS hearing mass my eyes wandered.

I noticed all the intricate details of the Cathedral. There was stained glass depicting biblical scenes, angels watching over the devotees while singing hymns, gilded statues of saints and more.

It was very beautiful but a little overbearing. Even the simple columns had painstakingly-carved designs on them.

I suddenly thought of the religion lessons I had as a kid. It was drilled into our heads that the Catholic faith was the highest form of all the religions. The Catholic “God” was the only God. When you are young and you grow up in a cloistered environment you don’t really see the loopholes in the way we treat our religion. It’s as if the one being revered is not really God but the act of being Catholic.

As you age you realize why some people distance themselves from the church. Money, as in all aspects of society, plays a big part in how the community functions. Tithes under the guise of “to beautify the house of God” usually ends up in the parish’s pockets.

People focus more on the showy aspect like going to church everyday rather than the more tedious charity works because that is what is lauded. It’s more of a contest between parishioners on how many feast days are celebrated and how “fervent” the act of prayer is.

Getting your hands dirty with actual societal problems is out of the question. The more sacred it is, the more it must be kept clean.

There is also the way the Catholic Church is self-righteous. Every other religion is just a rip-off of our beliefs. However, when you look at it, the beliefs of every religion are mostly the same; an omnipresent being that guides human behavior, a savior that overcomes the weakness of human nature, and the desire to have salvation. Each has a different name but they’re all the same. Catholics somehow along the line just thought they were the better version.

For me, I think we need to change the way we view religion. Try not to personify or objectify it too much but instead focus on the core aspect. That is to treat each other kindly. Even those who reject religion, they have their own way of looking at things. Their desire is still the same.

If we put away the labels, the prejudice and the unnecessary extravagance of rituals, then we will see that we can live in solidarity. (angelica.panaynews@gmail.com/PN)