Ill God and Gains

The story began with thundering cheers! And why would it not? It is a happily ever after after all; finally, the two conflicting rulers, the State and the Church made a written pact to coexist peacefully in the disputed territory of the Philippines.

Its Constitution reads that the Church cannot meddle with the affairs of the State, just as the State cannot police what faith its people choose. And for hundreds of years since its establishment, they upheld that pact.

But as is expected from human nature, no matter how many times you unite people on some front, they will always find a reason – whether it be the same or a different one – to divide themselves against each other.

With their pitchforks ready, the patriots cast out those freeloading institutions of faith who dare disturb the status quo with their intrusions.

“Stay in your lane,” the patriot said, eyeing the Catholics – wide-reaching of them all, “For it is the law.”

“You listen to me. I know what is right,” replied the man in cloth clutching his sacred book, “for I am the appointed son of God.”

This disparity is seen in everything these powers can influence, especially during election seasons.

In fact, a prominent yet infamous presidential candidate, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., recently cried that the Catholic Church should not meddle with politics. With supporters and non-supporters heading to his call.

One can only imagine him gently threatening his political party to subdue the Church after it released a statement condemning the historical revisions being done to disparage the atrocities and sins of his father and late dictator, Ferdinand Marcos.

Although, it is a blessing that three religious groups endorsed him and his political tandem, Sarah Duterte. It also seems that heaven has never forsaken Bongbong, even if his actions forsake the nation.

The good news is that not everyone tries to live on this false and sometimes hypocritical dichotomy.

Take, for example, Luis Zander Jardin – who, like most Filipinos, is a citizen of both the kingdom of God and the Chief of State.

The first thing you need to know about Jardin is that he is wise for a man who is only 19 of age.

The second is that he is a man who knows where he stands in the political spectrum and is not afraid to uphold social justice.

And most importantly, he took an unorthodox path in life by deliberately choosing to study to be a Catholic priest in an era where most people subscribe to a secular way of life.

If you take a stroll on his Facebook account, you can see the preponderance of his posts revolves around the Church and the State. He profusely exercises his right to freedom of expression and counters prevalent media disinformation, while sharing the values of his faith and how they correlate with each other.

“As far as man’s salvation is concerned, the (Catholic) Church must do her best to reach God’s children. To meddle in politics is one of the best areas where evangelization must happen,” said Jardin when asked if the Church should stay out of politics.

Most of the time there is no separation whatsoever in the Garden of Zander, for he believes that they are never mutually exclusive.

“The total and absolute separation of the Church and State is impossible for both have the same end, that is, the welfare of the human person,” he added, “It would be an ideal country if the Church and State go hand-in-hand.”

It is fair to note that when Jardin speaks of the Church, he speaks of the Catholic faith, and his beliefs do not represent the diverse faith present in the Philippines.

And although there are numerous faiths in the country, the Catholic Church is the most influential, even though the institution is shrouded in controversies. Thus, it is only reasonable that it bears the heavy brunt of criticisms.

And with an already polarizing election filled with disinformation, the true intention of what it means to separate the State and Church gets lost in translation.

Apparently, the Constitution does not restrict the Church from concerning itself with secular activities that violate what they believe is the Law of God, such as politics, human rights violations, graft and corruption, among many others.

The Constitution recognizes that the role of religious leaders is to speak on secular matters from a spiritual and moral point of view.

“The (Catholic) Church recognizes the individuality of each and every human person, meaning that it respects individual differences. But vis-à-vis elections, the Church is always non-partisan but is giving standards, which are grounded in the teachings of the (Catholic) Church, that will guide voters in picking their candidates,” Jardin explained.

As mentioned above, some of those who endorsed Bongbong are Bishop Ted Malangen of Jesus Christ the Deliverer Church; Bro. Mike Velarde of El Shaddai; and Pastor Apollo Quiboloy of Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

“In the contemporary scenario, the (Catholic) Church seems to promote a specific candidate to the presidency because all the standards are seen in this candidate,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Church broke its long-held record of not supporting a candidate. Some organizations like “Pari Madre Misyonero Para Kay Leni,” and De La Salle Brothers of the Taft Community support Bongbong’s rival, Vice President Leni Robredo.

“It is a prerequisite that to be a good Christian is to be a good citizen. All the doctrines of faith would be in vain if it is not integrated into a Christian’s life,” he said.

Jardin ardently campaigns for Robredo. For him, among all the candidates, she is the epitome of the Christian faith. He admires her clean track record and her concrete plans of action for the country in ensuring that Filipinos have the dignity they deserve.

Religious rhetorics exist to help people think critically. It helps them ask grandiose questions in life. Not necessarily to give a definite answer but to provide mere guidelines in life, and most of the time, more questions. Questions such as why do bad things happen to good people? Are sacred texts figurative or literal? And why should I vote for this candidate?

The problems arise when we prioritize the theoretical over the definite. And people get tricked into doing unspeakable things because of blind faith. Thus, the State allies itself with all forms of corrupt institutions to gain more power, and the Church abuses its influence to remain relevant.

Humans may argue about who is correct and which religion is wrong, but underneath it is the common credence that loving our neighbors is the one important thing of it all.

So, you be the judge. And think deeply about it.

Can we really separate the Church from the State?

And does your presidential candidate truly have you and your neighbor in mind?

“In a subjective personal point of view, though my voice seems to be just a whisper amidst the world’s unending noise, my political stance only matters if it unveils the truth,” Jardin said, “The very mere fact that my voice shakes others, and seems to be a stumbling block to them, is manifesting something – and I hope that it is the truth.”

Because it is a fact that there are churches that exist with their ill gods to get their gains. And unaccountable states with their ill-gotten gains to be their own ill gods. It is up to little people like Jardin to end this ouroboros of a reality.

And what little of a man he is with so little influence who hopes that one day in May, another story can begin with thundering cheers!