Thursday, November 08, 2012

Manila archbishop laments ‘practical atheism’

Fresh from the Vatican where he was named cardinal last Oct. 24, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle lamented ‘practical atheism’ as one of the major obstacles to evangelization.

The archbishop, who will be incardinated at a consistory in Rome on Nov. 24, mourned the belief and practice of some Catholics who claim they believe in God, but act like they do not believe in a Supreme Being.

“There is atheism where they openly say that they don’t believe in God and there are also those who claim that they are faithful but live as if God doesn’t exist,” Tagle said during his homily in a Mass he celebrated at the San Fernando de Dilao parish church in Paco, Manila.  

“During Sundays, we profess our faith to God. But starting Monday, cheating happens because of money… we take advantage of other people for our own interests,” he said.
 
The Mass was also celebrated to launch the Year of Faith form Oct. 11 until Nov. 24 next year as declared by Pope Benedict XVI.
 
Tagle, who just arrived in Manila on Thursday after almost a month in Rome for the Synod of Bishops, said that the occasion seeks to bring the faithful back to the fundamental tenet of the Christian faith.
 
“The Year of Faith is for all of us. Like what a theologian said, there is an unbeliever in every believer,” the archbishop said.
 
“We are all invited to renew our faith. We shouldn’t be ashamed of knowing God. Let’s show it because we are called to share his message with everyone,” he added.
 
In his pastoral letter, Tagle said that the Year of Faith is an invitation for Catholics to “study again the Second Vatican Council and the Catechism of the Catholic Church that is its fruit in order to rediscover the vitality of the faith we have inherited.”
 
“Aside from celebrating Vatican II and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Year of Faith invites us to look closely at the contemporary world, its beauty and wounds,” he added.
 
“The continuity of the Church through ages allows various forms of renewal. The Church receives, celebrates and lives the faith in different historical settings with their unique demands and challenges,” Tagle also said.

Benedict XVI has recently named Tagle along with five others from Lebanon, Nigeria, Colombia, India and the United States as new cardinals.