December 2011 - Filipino-American Community of South Puget Sound

8 News
Fr. Favie Faldas, an organizer
of the National Youth Day
(NYD), recently warned the people
that the Catholic Church is
losing influence over the Filipino
youth because of their exposure
to the Internet and the popular
social networking websites,
like Facebook and Twitter,
where they see other people
standing up against the
teachings of the Church.
Faldas, head of the NYD
Steering Committee, said
that social networks show
that it is possible to stand up
against religious teachings.
He said before people
would not speak against the
teachings of the Church,
now more people are openly
criticizing the Catholic
Church.
Faldas told the Catholic Media
Network (CMN) forum that the
information highway is open and
anybody can post any information,
good or bad, and that is why
when the Catholic Church would
jump on it, it would lose.
“This post modern age, we
might come to the point its not
anymore the Church age, the
Church has lost its voice in a
certain way. May be in our country,
the Church is still strong but
worldwide, we could seen in other
countries (the Church has lost its
voice),” said Faldas.
Faldas said that going against
Facebook versus The Church
Noel Bartolome
the “bad” influences coming from
the social media websites like the
very popular Facebook and Twitter
could be be an uphill battle.
He said that it is a tough challenge
not only in the Philippines
but also for other countries.
Faldas attributed this latest de-
velopment to secularism.
He said abortion is now accepted
in many countries even the
Christian countries.
“This is already a sign that
the influence of the Church, even
in the predominantly Christian
countries such as Spain, (is weakening).
They openly defy the
Church, before nobody would
have the courage to do that.”
The Philippines is still fighting
off the legalization of abortion.
The priest said social media is
one of the factors that contributed
to the weakening influence of the
Catholic Church.
Faldas said once the defiance
against the Catholic Church becomes
public, a lot of people become
aware that going against the
dictates of the Church is possible.
“This is what is happening
to us here. Now others have the
courage to come out and speak
their mind,” he added.
Faldas said the growing
number of social
media networks would
undermine the Catholic
Church unless the
Church does something.
He said the Catholic
Church does not get
enough attention from
the media or does not
get enough “primetime”
so it is unable to teach its
maximum capacity.
Faldas said one
way for the Catholic Church to
strengthen its crusade is by educating
the public and even attempt
to fight the social networking
websites in the Internet. The
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of
the Philippines (CBCP) has come
up with the www.youthpinoy.
com and to intensify its education
campaign.
He also believed that there are
international
funding organizations
that
want to reduce
the Catholic
Church influence.
“I don’t want to name my
sources but this is also a way to put
down the influence of the Church
because they want to put up their
own agenda. For example, there
are international agencies that are
behind the Reproductive Health
(RH) bill so that by funding to
promote the RH bill, they are
funding to put down the Church,”
December 2011
http://pinoyreporter.com
Fr. Faldas added.
The Catholic Church hierarchy
in the Philippines is strongly
opposing the passage of the RH
bill that it believed would promote
the use of contraceptive and
abortion-enhancing drugs.
The proposed RH bills are being
deliberated in the Senate and
the Houses of Representatives. �