Thesis Defense 2018 |1

THESIS DEFENSE
possible questions

1. How the CBCP documents respond to these kind of issue.

PCP-II noted: “In the Philippines today, God calls us most urgently to serve the poor and the needy.
The poverty of at least half of the population is a clear sign that sin has penetrated our social
structures. Poverty in the sense of destitution is not God’s will for anyone” (122).

PCP-II struggled to define what “Church of the Poor” means. “The ‘Church of the Poor’ is one
whose members and leaders have a special love for the poor…. It is not an exclusive or excluding
love in such a way that there is no room in a Christian’s heart for those who are not poor. For
always, the Christian must love all persons…. Christ was able to love well-to-do people like
Zaccheus and the family of Martha, Mary and Lazarus” (126-127).

“The ‘Church of the Poor’ is one where, at the very least, the poor are not discriminated against
because of their poverty, and they will not be deprived of their ‘right to receive in abundance the
help of the spiritual goods of the Church, especially that of the Word of God and the sacraments
from the pastors’” (128).

Continuing the insightful catechesis of PCP-II, we read: “The ‘Church of the Poor’ will also mean
that the Church will not only evangelize the poor, but that the poor in the Church will themselves
become evangelizers. Pastors and leaders will learn to be with, work with, and learn from the
poor. A ‘Church of the Poor’ will not only render preferential service to the poor but will practice
preferential reliance on the poor in the work of evangelization” (132).

Recall…Karl Gaspar, as the poor as his subject of his learning… the poor can become a teacher of
life… And Karl Gaspar learned with the poor in their life situation… I thinks, this will be take into
account about the spirituality of Liberation theology…

“The ‘Church of the Poor’ is one where the entire community of disciples … will have such a love
of preference for the poor as to orient and tilt the center of gravity of the entire community in favor
of the needy” (134).

“When the Church in the Philippines becomes truly this Church of the Poor, the poor will feel at
home in her, and will participate actively, as equal to others, in her life and mission. The Church
will then become truly a communion, a sign and instrument, for the unity of the whole Filipino
nation” (136).

2. How can the Filipino people respond to the “preferential option for the poor”?

Why is it not address with the Filipino, it is for the context in the Philippines?

That is what I lost, after reading again and again the thesis and continue revising it, I was not able
to go back to questions that it must be Filipino that needs a response.
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3. How does the theology of liberation differ from Karl Gaspar and Bishop Labayen?

In Bishop Labayen’ Theology, it is in this statement that he was guided, sentire cum
ecclesia meaning to be with the Church… thinking with the Church is being with God. And
thinking with the poor is having communion with God as he give preference with the poor.

In Karl Gaspar theology, he incorporate the situation in a liturgical action… they put it and making
it present in the Eucharist the struggles and the situations.

4. Does theology of liberation just ended up as a transplant from Latin American

No, because every country has its own history. And it is a unique experience in each country,
althought there are similarities but it differes in different aspect and these factors would always
affect people understanding. In doing such theology, it really acknowledges history that the church
is within history and Church with history is at work within itself. As Bernard Lonergan said.

Moreover, from our history, we will be able to come up a particular theology within our own
context. Thus this history as Oscar Romero said that the mission of the church in a given time and
place… this what we are doing now, there is an invitation to thrive, to transform the history of the
people into Salvation History.

The Canadian Bernard Lonergan judged it, perhaps most incisively, as the Church’s recognition
or acknowledgment of history, a coming-to-terms with a Church within history, a Church with
history at work within itself.

Theology is at the service of Christ’s redemptive presence and role in the world. It arises
from within a community convinced that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, and the event and
message on which it reflects is meant to have an effect upon the course of human history. Theology
is thus one of many ways in which the Church seeks to be the sign and instrument by which Christ
continues to be historically effective.

5. What are the activities that geared towards level for the poor? SACOP What are the
Activities that help in establishing the poor?

6. How do we addressed the current issues about the poor entitlement?

Poverty is an entitlement problem. No matter what you say, a P5 coin won’t change the life
of a poor man. It will only give him the wrong reasons to remain on the streets. What can we
do? When we give 5 pesos to the poor person, actually we feel happy because we did our part as a
Christian, it is not wrong to beg, the moral wrong is in tolerating a poor man’s demeaning of
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himself, he does not deserve this life, we are actually giving him that he is really a poor… and here
we are, giving a 5 peso coin, do you think it will help him to live in a way?

From here, there is an emphasis that he is a poor and that is morally wrong. Each person has its
own dignity and it came from God because he created us IMAGO Dei… he loved us first before
we opted for the poor.

Read more: http://opinion.inquirer.net/110143/the-problem-of-poverty#ixzz58wE4PEzl

7. Question for the Latin America? What can we learn from the Philippines?
i. Bloodless revolution with the collaboration of the church.

8. The Spirituality of Theology of Liberation…

In the theology of Liberation, there is a commitment to fight for justice. Thus, there is a
need to foster a spirituality for Liberation or a Christian life which has characteristics:
First, Scriptures, Pagbasa ng mga Banal na Kasulatan. A witness of faith or being
committed to the struggle of justice must be constantly nourished by the word of God. It is very
necessary that God saving word is communicated, correctly understood, and efficaciously
celebrated within the Christian community especially in Church’s liturgy and prayers. In this
process of theological and reflection/action, he must see the connection or the relationship between
the social message of the Bible and the concrete Philippine situation of poverty and injustice.
Secondly, Service to others, Paglilingkod. Borrowing from the authors, the Atenean
Education is service oriented. It is for our fellowmen especially the poor and oppressed. Therefore,
their ideal is Tao para sa kapwa. We cannot live by ourselves alone and none of us dies alone. It
sometimes coincide with consumerism, from profit; then it will always point to myself. Others are
things that serve my purpose. Now, Christians are called to protest against consumerism and make
a new person. This is a kind of service that we need to work upon. The best example and model of
humble service is Jesus who washed the feet of the disciples, which can be seen in the Johanine
gospel. Jesus is model of a persons who practiced fully what he preached: as Matthean Gospel puts
it, “the Son of man has come, not to be served by others, but to serve, to give his own life as ransom
for many.”1
Thirdly, Sharing, Pakikibahagi. This is the very nature of what the Christian calling is all
about. Sharing what we have is not only taught in school but is a way toward goodness and reflects
God’s self-giving.
Fourth, Simplicity of lifestyle, Payak na pamumuhay. The spirituality of liberation
demands a lifelong commitment of simplicity in which Christ himself who, being infinitely rich in
his divine nature, became poor for the sake of our liberation.2
Fifth, Solidarity with the poor, Pakikipagisa sa mga dukha o naaapi. This solidarity really
demands a change in culture, a break with the individualistic, consumerism, practice of popularity.

1
New American Bible Standard Edition, Mt. 20:28.
2
New American Bible Standard Edition, Phil. 2:6-8.
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Thus, liberation theology bridges the gap between the culture of the rich and the culture of the
poor. We are called to practice spiritual poverty which can be seen in the Matthean version of the
Beatitudes. Poverty of spirit means total and humble dependence on God.
Lastly, Subversion, Pagpapalit at pagbabago ng Sistema. The Philippines society today
when it comes to corruption is so ironic. Why? Because the honest people are punished while the
dishonest people are rewarded. It is very challenging for the Filipino today to have a firm resolve
to become an agents of social change. This is always given to the future leaders of the society or
in all sectors of the Philippines. This is considered as a slow process. The oppressed people are
the ones who must first realize that they can be principal agents of social change and that the role
of the privileged class to assist them to reinforce with pressure from above the pressure from below
on the unjust structures that need to be changed.3

9. Do we have an emerging indigenous Filipino Theology?

Now the question, preferential option for the poor in the Philippine Context is a reflection of
Theology of Struggle in its infancy… It has not yet articulated and in Karl Gaspar’s remarks, If
we want to know about the indegeneous Filipino Theology emerging in our Philippine Context?
He said, there is no book about that theology but it can be written soon… I think there is no single
work written about theology of Struggle but there are compilations of experiences or an anthology
--- there is…

10. What is for Pope Francis preferential option for the poor?

God chose the poor as his first mercy. This divine preference has consequences of all faith life of
all Christians. The church has made a church of the poor. We are called to find Christ in them to
lend our voice and also to become your friends to listen to them and to speak for them.

Our duty is to hear the cry of the poor.

Each individual Christians and every individual is called to be an instrument of God in liberation
and promotion of the poor in enabling them to be a part of the society.
Problem: the exclusion of the poor in the society.

Concern for integral development of the poor

Jesus command feed my sheep, for francis , it is working to eliminate the structure causes of
poverty and to promote intrical development of the poor as well as an act of solidarity in meeting
the real need that we encounter. The world solidarity is a little bit of warm and a times purely
understood but referring to something more the move of sporadic acts of generosity. It presume
the creation of mindset which think and turn into community and the priority of life of all over the
appropriation of goods.

3
Asandas D. BALCHAND, SJ., ed., et al., “Theology of Liberation for Today’s Filipino Christian” (Quezon City:
Ateneo de Manila University, 1990), p. 156.
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Liberation of the poor

Octogesima Adveniens 1971 and populorum progression

We should be scandalized
He quote from the bishops of brazil, we wish to take up daily, the joy and hopes, the difficulties
and sorrows of the Brazilian people and those who are living in the barrios and country side,
homeless, lacking food, healthcare, it is scandalous that we know that there are enough food for
everyone and their hunger is resolve in about poor distribution of good and income. The problem
become worst by the generalize practice of wastelands.

Concern for Temporal Welfare

Evidently, one thing to make sure that understand the magnanimity of the call Pope Francis uses
Pope John XXIII insisted that we must be concerned not just for the dignified sustenance of all
people but for the general, temporal properity. This means, education, assistance to healthcare and
above all employment. For it is through, free, creative and participatory and mutual support of
labor that the human being expressed their human dignity of their lives, A just wage that enables
them to have an adequate access to all the other goods which is destined for common use.

No one is Excused

No one is excepted for concern with the poor and for social justice.
Spiritual conversion, the intensity of the love of God in neighbor,
Zeal for justice and peace, the gospel meaning of the poor and of poverty are required of everyone.

Thus the word of God challeges those who believe “to go forth” – all of us are called to take part
in this new missionary “going forth”

Pope Francis.