PRESIDENT DUTERTE had a “complaint” about the observance of All Saints Day and All Souls Day, Nov. 1 and 2, by the Catholic Church: “These f***ing Catholics. Why do they observe [those holidays]?” And the bases for his gripe:
---“We don’t even know who these saints are. Who are these stupid saints? (‘Sino‘yang mga g**o na iyan?’)”
---“They are just drunkards.”
The Palace, as expected, later downplayed the apparent bashing of the church and its practice, saying the president’s joke wouldn’t shake devotees’ faith.
A lot of saints
Not even Vatican knows the exact number of saints in heaven that, if infuriated by the joke, could unleash a barrage of round-the-clock prayer against Duterte and maybe those who snickered over the joke.
More than 10,000 saints, one account says, if the count includes those who were declared saints “by popular demand.” That was before it was tougher to become a National Artist in this country than be declared a saint.
It was only in 993 that the church adopted a rigorous process that involved screening by the Congregation for Causes of Saints and going through stages and changes of title: servant of God, (2) venerable, (3) blessed, and (4) finally, saint. Plus the requirement of one miracle for martyrs and two miracles for confessors. Since 1588, the experts note, to complete the sainthood process, it took 181 years between death of the candidate and actual canonization.
Reformed people
Inevitably, since thorough vetting started only in the 10th century, drunks, murderers, buffoons, and lecherous people who later were converted to the faith and did acts of holiness managed to get into the list of saints.
Duterte was right about having drunkards as saints. Santa Monica, patron saint for recovering alcoholics, was mother of Augustine, for whom she prayed for 16 years until he stopped drinking and womanizing and then led a life of penance and himself became a saint. Augustine and a few others, including Matt Talbot of Dublin, whom Pope Francis canonized, didn’t make the bulk of saints alcoholics.
A lash-out too
It was clearly a joke when President Duterte said Catholics should venerate “Santo Rodrigo” instead. A living person cannot become a saint. It requires the death of the would-be saint and almost 200 years of waiting, unless Duterte would be in the category of John Paul II and John XXIII who went through some express lane and were canonized last April 2014.
But it was also a lash-out against the church and the faithful’s belief. The saints could take the joke; many suffered worse fates in their lifetime. Church members who invoke the saints’ help might be offended.
Tolerance, respect
Obviously Duterte doesn’t believe in saints. The point though is not whether they can really intercede for the living person who venerates them. The church doctrine says they can and cussing them or Mother Mary is a sin. Core of the complaint against the bashing of saints is the absence of respect for, and tolerance of, other people’s faith.