AMORIS LAETITIA IN A CLERICALIST CULTURE
A CASE OF THE PHILIPPINE CHURCH
Keywords:
Church Hierarchy, Clericalism, Pastoral Ministry, TransparencyAbstract
Amoris Laetitia (henceforth AL) has been the subject of discussion among supporters and critics alike. Apparently, and especially within the Philippine context, there is not much discussion about its success as a pastoral thrust that seeks to journey with persons who are broken either as individuals or as families. If read side by side with Evangelii Gaudium and other writings of Pope Francis, it is clear that AL‘s pastoral thrust promotes the Gospel of Mercy in the sphere of family life and sexuality. It is in line with the Church‘s need to carry out internal reforms and thus it addresses the growing concern of secularization. This paper contends that for the Church to truly journey with those who need its pastoral care, as envisioned by AL, it has to address the problem of clericalism. The case of the Philippine Church is used to elaborate the contention that more than just the profound pastoral pronouncements of AL, there must be changes within the Church‘s system, and primarily this means serious efforts to address clericalism.
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