Do saints cause misfortunes for failure of compliance of veneration to them?

[ianskielem]

Catholics in the province of Bulacan, Philippines are those that I can say the most superstitious among Catholics. They somehow believe that when they have not done their duties to the feast days of their respective patron saints, there will come misfortunes to their places.

For example, there are the processions on the rivers, and other rituals.

This is pretty much disturbing indeed. :sad_yes:

 

[Miserissima]

As saints don’t have any power on their own, it sounds like native folk religion has been mixed with catholicism. Ours not just in the Philippines, trust me. Vestiges of pre Christian worship are abundant throughout central America, south America, and even Europe.

Santeria, voodoo, and even Sheila na Gigs that decorate Irish churches come to mind.

 

[robwar]

Catholics in the province of Bulacan, Philippines are those that I can say the most superstitious among Catholics. They somehow believe that when they have not done their duties to the feast days of their respective patron saints, there will come misfortunes to their places.

For example, there are the processions on the rivers, and other rituals.

This is pretty much disturbing indeed. :sad_yes:

The sadder thing is that extreme abuses like this are used by extreme anti-Catholics as evidence (in their minds) that the Catholic worships saints etc. The truth is that this is saint veneration gone amuck and this kind of behavior and thinking and practice is not at all supported by the Church.

 

[Miserissima]

The sadder thing is that extreme abuses like this are used by extreme anti-Catholics as evidence (in their minds) that the Catholic worships saints etc. The truth is that this is saint veneration gone amuck and this kind of behavior and thinking and practice is not at all supported by the Church.

Agreed…especially in the case of the Santa Muerte cult!

I think a good analogy would be like asking a Baptist, “Oh, you picket funerals like Westboro, right?”

 

[ianskielem]

Exactly! I try to say to anyone who sees the television with the culture and tradition like these that saints do not cause misfortunes like storms, earthquakes, etc.

That is commonly believed in those parts of PH because when they have not performed their duties well, storms come, floods, etc. We can see the festivities on television and their reasons on why they do that. Well, there really is nothing wrong with feasts in honor of the saints, but what bothers me is their reason for doing such. I say to other witnesses of the show that saints do not cause misfortunes, and it is bothering and it might be more of diabolical rather than christian.

Filipino priests are well aware of their theology, but i wonder somehow why they tolerate these kinds of mentality among the faithfuls. (I may be wrong)

 

[HelenRose]

Exactly! I try to say to anyone who sees the television with the culture and tradition like these that saints do not cause misfortunes like storms, earthquakes, etc.

That is commonly believed in those parts of PH because when they have not performed their duties well, storms come, floods, etc. We can see the festivities on television and their reasons on why they do that. Well, there really is nothing wrong with feasts in honor of the saints, but what bothers me is their reason for doing such. I say to other witnesses of the show that saints do not cause misfortunes, and it is bothering and it might be more of diabolical rather than christian.

Filipino priests are well aware of their theology, but i wonder somehow why they tolerate these kinds of mentality among the faithfuls. (I may be wrong)

They probably “pick” their fights. We have no idea what the problems are for each individual priest in any other country. We barely comprehend what priests have to deal with here in America.

 

[Cojuanco]

They probably “pick” their fights. We have no idea what the problems are for each individual priest in any other country. We barely comprehend what priests have to deal with here in America.

Precisely. It takes time to educate people and ease them away from their superstitions, especially when there is a risk that they might react by not attending to their actual obligations at all.

There unfortunately is an element of syncretism among parts of Filipino Catholicism. Take the practice of some back home who nail themselves to a cross on Good Friday. The Church, of course, condemns this.

As has been said, this is the dark flipside to legitimate popular piety (which is also strong in the Philippines). It happens in a lot of places, even in Europe - I even remember reading about a folk-practice in medieval Ireland calling upon intercession of certain saints to ensure, essentially, a successful abortion (in the modern sense, not the old sense of a miscarriage)! Of course such a thing is frowned upon by Holy Mother Church to say the least!