Catholic Theological Society of the Philippines
Damdaming Katoliko sa Teolohiya
Message from the President
It appears that we live in truly interesting times. We have a president who has launched his vicious “war on drugs” that has led to the deaths of thousands of suspected drug addicts and pushers. We have an ongoing pandemic to which the national government has failed to respond adequately, and as a consequence of its ineptitude, has led to not only deaths but also the exacerbation of the conditions of the poor and the marginalized. We have a government that appears hell-bent on curtailing and/or preempting any kind of political dissent. We have a new Anti-Terrorism Law which contains provisions that are inimical to basic human rights. We have a House of Representatives that seems to be a rubber stamp of the executive branch. We have a judiciary whose impartiality is not only put to the test by recent events but is questioned by many. We are a people of divided political and economic interests and loyalties who seem unable to get our act together in working for the common good.
The question that is asked of us, Catholic theologians, it seems to me, is: how do we craft a theology that is responsive to our context, that questions taken for granted ideologies and frameworks, that enables us to discern God’s presence in history, and that leads and contributes to the formation of a just and inclusive church and society?
me, is: how do we craft a theology that is responsive to our context, that questions taken for granted ideologies and frameworks, that enables us to discern God’s presence in history, and that leads and contributes to the formation of a just and inclusive church and society? More often than not, in the national discourse, the voice of theologians is missing or if ever it is present, is often ignored for various reasons. We in DaKaTeo endeavor to make our voices heard and contribute in our own little way to the difficult task of building our church and our nation.
We do hope that our new website will be a window to what we do as a professional organization and a means of achieving our goal. We know that the social media have been weaponized for partisan political interests which do not necessarily promote human flourishing. It seems easier for many to accept “alternative facts” and fake news rather than the truth. The church as a community is not spared from this phenomenon. Perhaps, this is why it is all the more important that we in DaKaTeo actively engage in discourses of national significance. As we perform our tasks in our own ministries within the church and in society, we are aware that we too are not immune to societal influences and are called to discernment and conversion – to become aware of our biases, prejudices, and shortcomings, to be cognizant of the limitations of our own theological positions, and to strive always to be faithful to the God who desires the fullness of life for all of us as individuals and as a society. Hence, we do theology with a prophetic spirit and a humble heart.
We welcome you to our new website. We’d like to hear your comments about it, our activities and our statements. Feel free to send us a message.
Sonny Mendoza
14 July 2020
It is in this context that DaKaTeo, the Catholic Theological Society of the Philippines, has sought to do theology – a theology that is faithful to both the Christian tradition and to our history. Given the complexity of the issues that are before us, many of which are contrary to the values of the Kingdom, it is not an easy task. The question that is asked of us, Catholic theologians, it seems to