The confrontation of the Roman Catholic Church with the economic and social development in the Philippines in relation to the influence of the socio-theological position of the II Vatican Council

Abstract

The beginning of the “crisis” in the Roman Catholic Church came with the response of some groups in the Church to the “Spirit” of the Vatican Council II. At the beginning, no one had defined exactly what the “Spirit” of the Council really was, but Catholic students, laymen and priests founded their organizations with the view of applying the “Spirit” of the Council in the Church. For many of them, it meant then the “opening” of the Church to the world and the reform of the Church. Since both elements are closely related, students, laymen, and priests have been drawn practically together demanding from the Hierarchy a “dialogical atmosphere” in the Church and a more relevant Church involvement with the potentially explosive condition of Philippine society. Because the Philippine Hierarchy was and is essentially conservative and authoritarian, a “religious clash” within the Church ensued.