The Effect of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Pastoral Letters on the Decision Making of its Laity Regarding Certain Political Issues

Abstract

The longstanding issue about Church-state relations has unendingly sparked debates and arguments about the topic. On one side, there is the belief that the Church should remain an institution which only provides moral guidelines for the people. On the other end of the spectrum, however, there are those who believe that the Church must play a more pro-active role and start meddling in the political affairs of a country. This study was conducted to determine whether the Church, through its sub-structure which is the CBCP, exerts influence on the Filipino laity such that their decisions are leaning towards the recommendations provided in the pastoral letters. The study seeks to establish a relationship between the perceived roles of the Church, the influence the Church exerts on her laity and the political decisions made by the Filipino churchgoer. The study conducted a survey to determine the different factors that Filipinos consider in their decision-making process. The study also wished to determine whether the Filipino laity considers the Church as a factor they consider affecting their political decision-makings. In the end, the study was able to conclude that the Filipino laity’s decision-making is done independently from Church recommendations. The study established that the decision-making process of Filipino churchgoers is not leaning towards the prescriptions provided by the Church.