OBSERVATION for REFLECTION
from Archbishop Simon Poh
1. Will we lose our Catholics after this pandemic? Any Reasons?
Mass attendance is still very low even when churches re-opened. After 18 months of on-line Masses, the pertinent question is, “Will Catholics still come back to church for the sacrament?” There will be hundreds of babies waiting to be baptised, and will parents still be sending children to Sunday Schools when they are fully open? What about our young people who had spent most of their time on handphones and computers? Yet majority of these are not registered for on-line Catechism Classes.
2. Who will carry on our work? Any Succession planning?
In our Church lay-organisations and liturgical ministries, we also realised that we had depended on the elderly who are very committed Catholics. When the SOP discourages those over 60 who have been the ones serving in Church, we suddenly experienced a vacuum in the people who can serve in Church and Masses. How do we raise up new leaders from the younger generations?
3. Socio-Political and Economic scenario
Since 2018, we see three successive ruling governments that bring about changes to some of the institutional policies affecting the rakyat, notably in education, finance and management of economy, even religious freedom as guaranteed by the Federal Constitution. There is also the challenge to medical and health services, labour/employment with movement restriction. This has impacted our churches. We will need to rethink ways to creatively manage our pastoral activities and presence in the socio-political sphere.
4. Internet is a gift in the city, but there is increasing digital divide in rural areas
We are blessed that during this pandemic with the advancement of technology and internet connections especially in city and main towns, we have been able to participate in on-line meetings, seminars and conduct formation sessions. But we are not to forget that there are rural communities that do not have adequate internet bandwidth as well as being too poor to have access to these modern gadgets and mobile instruments. We are now seeing a widening of the gap between the rich and poor, those who can afford technology and those who are left out in the rural; the digital divide will be a reality when these children grow up into adults. How can we empower the poor and rural youth?
5. New POOR amidst us in the parish community
Since this pandemic, the Church has distributed close to 5,000 food baskets to the needy, in the rural villages and within Kuching city. Now we have a category of NEW POOR, with people who have recently lost employment and those who cannot sustain their businesses, etc. Do we know who the new category of POOR are in our midst? What are our responses?
6. Mental Health Issues & Responses
We have also seen higher mental health issues, loneliness and depression especially among the elderly who feel isolated and restricted to home because of health issues. There are increasing suicide attempts when the suffering person could no longer cope nor think rationally. Counselling and assistance are much needed for these people. We thank the Lord for the daily on-line Calvary Hour of Mercy prayers from 3.00–4.00 pm that was launched last month on 14 September, Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross.
We need ways for Catholics to reach out by contacting and calling the elderly who live alone and isolated in their own house. I envisage that individual lay organisations (e.g. Legion of Mary, Family Bloc Rosary Group, Prayer and Cell groups, Senior Citizens fellowship, etc) can begin this new initiative to just make a short phone call to ensure that the elderly are coping fine and to offer a prayer to help them sustain throughout the day. New realities call for new ministries that the Holy Spirit will raise up. Who will respond to take up these new ministries?
7. Pastoral care for Families impacted by death
For families who are affected by death during this pandemic period, they may experience trauma, pain, loss and the grieving process may be borne alone by the family because of travel restriction of their close ones. The pain and loss are even greater for families directly impacted by death of a loved one from COVID-19 infection. This is deeply felt by the surviving spouse and children. Pastoral care and outreach to such families by their neighbourhood Catholic groups, prayer groups etc, are much needed. Have we been making pastoral and providing emotional and spiritual support to bereaved Catholic families?
8. Refocus on the Family as Domestic Church & Keluarga Malaysia
We are now going back to the Family as Domestic Church because of this pandemic. We realised that this pandemic with the lockdowns has offered or forced families to spend time together. Many would have agreed that we have taken more meals together in the home than before the pandemic as well as praying together. This is the opportunity to speak of Keluarga Kristian as the building blocks of the Church, society and thus our nation. May our Christian Families personify the authentic values of family life and the gospel in contributing to our Nation’s vision of Keluarga Malaysia. Let the Christian family life be the very model foundation of our nation.
RECOMMENDED GUIDING PRINCIPLES
1. Be the Church that have been on the Streets and smell of the Sheep
How do we reach out and be the Church of Evangelii Gaudium that has the smell of the sheep; a church that has been on the streets caring for the people of God… Do you know God’s Vision for our Church?
2. Always Remember the Catholics who are not able to participate in Church
But when we sincerely do the counting, we realised that we have easily left out over 80 percent of the Catholics who are not directly benefiting from pastoral care provided by the parishes.
3. Never forget the Poor who needs our help to survive
My request is for all PPCs to focus and attend to the immediate needs of food, shelter and clothing for the NEW POOR. Never allow our formation programmes or discussions at meetings make us lose sight of the Poor of the Lord.
“If one of the brothers or one of the sisters is in need of clothes and has not enough food to live on, and one of you says to them, ‘I wish you well; keep yourself warm and eat plenty’, without giving them these bare necessities of life, then what good is that? Faith is like that: if good works do not go with it, it is quite dead.” (James 2:15-17).
