“Cursillo” and its true nature

Title

Creator

Cruz, J. V.

Language

English

Year

1968

Subject

Cursillo movement.

Catholics.

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Abstract

From Manila Times, March 17, 1968.

This Spanish movement is here described as the organ of the anti-liberal Catholics against progressive ideas and healthy social changes.

Fulltext

■ This Spanish movement is here described as the organ of the anti-liberal Catholics against progressive ideas and healthy social changes. "CURSILLO" AND ITS TRUE NATURE There was a very fetching sports-page picture the other day that showed the highestranking Knights of Columbus and Masons in the country playing golf together. Occa sion was the first K of CFreemasons golf tournament ever. This took place, not coincidentally, after the Va tican had announced that it was no longer a sin for Ca tholics to apply for admission to Masonry lodges. In the past, any Catholic who be came a Mason was automa tically excommunicated from {he Church. This meant, from the Catholic viewpoint, that he was thereby doomed to eternal hell and damna tion. Now it is no longer so. Now Catholics may be come Masons and still save their souls. * * * This is only one, to be sure, of radical and fundamental changes that have overtaken Catholic dogma since Pope John XXIII, that incompar able innovator, “opened win dows” and invited the winds of modernization and ecu menism to sweep fresh air in to the ancient institution. Not all Catholics have accept ed the changes gracefully and uncomplainingly. Some have been affected so traumatically with their faith shaken to its roots as a result of the reversal of “truths” they had always considered deathless and immutable, that they have left the Church in anger and disgust. Others have taken it upon them selves to try to rein back and curb the pace and extent of change, to fight a holding, rear-guard action against the innovators and inconoclasts. * * * The “cursillo” movement is in the latter category. It is a systematic campaign by the conservative segment of the Church to nail down the faithful to the traditional or 10 Panohama thodoxies and doctrinal ri gidities. It emphasizes, to this end, such aspects of the faith as sexual morality and fear of eternal damnation. It is not a meaningless coin cidence that the “cursillo” originated in Spain. That country has always been a stronghold of conservative Catholicism — although, na turally, its repressiveness has produced its own counter reaction, as spearheaded by a militant young clergy that has involved itself in labor unionism and in efforts to expand the scope of academic freedom in the country’s schools and universities. Nor is it surprising that the move ment has taken such firm hold and become so spectacularly popular in the Philippines. Philippine Catholicism is just as reactionary and bigoted as its Spanish counterpart. * * * In Europe, on the other hand, the Dutch Catholics (5.2 million Dutchmen out of a total population of 12.5 mil lion) are working their reli gion over with a zest and — if this word may be properly used — irreverence that threatens to rattle the rest of the Catholic world. A Dutch cathecism — “A New Cathecism: Catholic Faith For Adults” — is selling strongly in the United States although or perhaps because, as one American magazine specu lated, it has been banned by the American bishops from American Catholic schools. It has no imprimatur, mean ing the Church’s official au thorization. The cathecism teaches — and where it does not teach outright it proposes — unorthodox and far-out in terpretations of such longestablished doctrines as the virgin birth, sin, papal infal libility, heaven and hell, ori ginal sin, etc. * * * An American magazine’s recent survey of the Nether lands’ avant-garde Catholic.-? ism gave some indication of the extent and depth of its “heresy.” The survey consist ed of interviews with priests and other religious, lay theo logians and professors, and ex-priests. On the question of birth control, for example, three priests and one lay au thority were unanimous in agreeing that the Church could no longer legitimately March 1968 11 prohibit it. “Birth control is an absolute necessity,” the layman said. The priests’ comments were: “The Church has nothing to de cree here, although people can be served by criteria, in formation discussion. The best pill is the right pill.” Another: “Aproval of birth control is the Church’s duty toward individuals as well as toward a sane population po licy.” And the third: “The issue is no longer within the competence of the Church.” * * * On the Church’s obsession with sexual morality (which is the mainstay of the “cur sillo” program), all four Dutch priests who spoke out on the subject spoke scorn fully. The Rev. A. J. Duindam, an Amsterdam pastor, said: “This overemphasis is a tragic folly. The Church has hardly reflected on social ethics, and even there, it is still in its infancy.” The Rev. Prior Robert Adolfs, au thor of a book on Catholic ism that barely escaped sup pression by the Vatican, said: “A real fixation in which the role of the celibate obsessions has been very important. The priestly bed experts!” The Rev. Leo Alting von Geusau, general director of IDO-C in Rome: “It is impossible to denounce this too much! Here are the products of the frustrated thinking of celi bates.” And the Rev. Ed ward Schillebeeckx, a re nowned Dominican theolo gian: “Only since Piux XI, that is in the recent past, has the Church been so specially reactionary in this respect. But do not forget that the entire culture was dominated by this sexual anxiety.” * * * All of this undoubtedly is strong medicine for Filipino Catholics., Inevitably and ul timately, however, these winds of “heresy” and chal lenge sweeping out of Hol land will ruffle and agitate the Church in this country. Perhaps it is in anticipation of, and preparation for, such a siege that the “cursillo” is being feverishly propagated. Will the defenses hold? Will the “invasion” be repelled? These are the questions that will determine the future of the Church in this country. — J. V. Cruz, Manila Times, March 17, 1968. 12 Panorama

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