Re-directing BEC for Liberating Mission

Introduction: Re-directing BEC for Liberating Mission

Continuing our journey of renewal in the Archdiocese, the pastoral thrust of building Basic Ecclesial Communities needs re-direction in terms of liberating orientation, participatory processes, paradigm shift in consciousness, emerging empowering leadership, inculturation and transformative structures, organization and systems. The following framework developed and emerged from years of pastoral experience is offered as guide in re-directing our way of building BECs to be faithful to the demands of the radical Gospel of proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom.

I. OUR PASTORAL ORIENTATION:

We envision the transformation of the parishes into communities of disciples of Jesus following the liberating Kingdom-mission. We leave behind the image of church as highly institutionalized, clericalized, exclusively liturgical and sacramental, and associated with the rich and powerful. We are embarking a church as community, co-responsible, prophetic and with preferential option for the poor.

Proclamation of the good news of the Kingdom is the mission of the Church. The Kingdom of God as fullness of life is concretized in the total well being of people translated into jobs and work to sustain families, basic needs, basic social services, protection of human rights, participation in community decision making, access to wealth and resources, integrity of environment, justice for all, and community of nations.

The dehumanizing situation of exploitation is the context and challenge of the proclamation of the Kingdom. The present dehumanizing situation as massive poverty, political patronage and cultural corruption is product of historical process of political colonialization, economic neo-colonialization and cultural globalization.

In Ilocos Sur, five economic poverty groups as the poorest among the poor are identified as farmer-tenants, small fisher folks, upland indigenous peoples, laborers and the jobless. They should be the priority of the pastoral ministry.

As Nueva Segovia Church, we also contribute to the perpetuation of the exploitative situation of the people. Double standards of sacramental celebrations and church services. Lack of credible lifestyle and witnessing. Soliciting and accepting benefits from oppressors. Our church life has always been very cultic, neglecting our prophetic and kingly tasks.

In this dehumanizing and exploitative situation of the people, we rediscover the stand of Jesus in his proclamation of the Kingdom. The victims of exploitation are the defenseless poor. Dehumanizing poverty endangers humanity. Option for the poor is option for humanity. It is the option of Jesus. It is the Kingdom-option. It must then be the option of the followers of Jesus. It is the option of the Church. Option for the poor is justice and liberation. Is it our option? Our personal conviction?