Are we more catholic than the pope?

Is our caste system more powerful than the Roman Curia?

“Reforming the often unwieldy and out-of-touch Vatican bureaucracy, known as the Roman Curia, which governs a church of 1.3 billion faithful, was central for Francis’ election in 2013.

“The document, drafted by top cardinals chosen by Francis, was released on the ninth anniversary of his installation as pope. It explicitly states in its preamble that “the pope, bishops and other ordained ministers are not the only “evangelizers” in the church,” creating space for Catholic “laymen and laywomen” to have “roles of government and responsibility.” Another section, called “Principles,” states that the pope can appoint any Catholic he considers qualified to lead a Vatican office.

“Pope Francis issued a new constitution, nearly a decade in the making, to govern the bureaucracy that runs the Roman Catholic Church.

“The new constitution also places Francis’ abuse commission inside the powerful doctrinal office that often opposed the panel’s recommendations. The new structure, the constitution says, will help the church “protect minors and vulnerable persons from sexual abuse.”

“The constitution, signed by Francis on Saturday and published immediately, and only in Italian, will go into force on 5th Jun, replacing the charter “Pastor bonus,” or “Good Shepherd,” introduced in 1988 by Pope John Paul II.

“Francis has made a tradition of hammering the leaders of the Roman Curia — usually in a significant Christmastime address — for a host of sins, including being enamored with power and status and being far from the faithful.

“He has denigrated the Curia hierarchy as a self-important, “ponderous, bureaucratic customs house” plagued by “intrigues of little groups” that placed itself and the priesthood above parishioners, instead of being “shepherds, with the smell of sheep.”

“Francis has repeatedly sought to put his pontificate within the continuum of the Second Vatican Council, the landmark meeting of bishops in the 1960s that sought to embrace the modern world.

“He has recently cracked down on using the old Latin rite in celebrating Mass favored by traditionalists. Francis decided that they were divisive within the church, as they promoted a view that undercut the legitimacy of the modern church.” [“In a New Constitution, the Pope Sets Out to Overhaul the Vatican,” Jason Horowitz, The New York Times, 19th Mar 2022]

Consider our instincts: We are parochial and insular. We value hierarchy and paternalism and rely on political patronage and oligarchy that ours is a culture of impunity.

The evidence? “The current Constitution has a provision that calls on Congress to pass an anti-political dynasty law. Of course, that never happened. Over the last 35 years, Congress ignored the Constitutional mandate. The old ruling elite, national and local, has succeeded in perpetuating power in their hands.” [“Family business,” Boo Chanco, DEMAND AND SUPPLY, The Philippine Star, 21st Mar 2022]

If the character of the Roman Curia isn’t perpetual, why can’t the Philippine caste system?

The universe we live in is dynamic, e.g., after winter comes spring. The universe is a 24/7 phenomenon. We can’t be bogged down by “winter” – and be sick and tired of democracy because “war and peace” is the human condition. Think of the story of Eden and Adam and Eve.

“So much of what we imagine to be new is old; so many seemingly novel illnesses afflict modern society is just resurgent cancers, diagnosed and described long ago. Autocrats have risen before; they have used mass violence before; broken the war laws.

“In 1950, in the preface to the first edition of The Origins of Totalitarianism, Hannah Arendt knew that what had just passed could repeat itself. She described the scant half-decade that had elapsed since the end of the Second World War as an era of great unease.

“Never has our future been more unpredictable. We have never depended so much on political forces that are unworthy to follow the rules of common sense and self-interest—forces that look like sheer insanity if judged by the standards of other centuries.” [“Why We Should Read Hannah Arendt Now,” Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 17th Mar 2022]

Unsurprisingly, Bongbong Marcos will be the next president.

A caste system is a system of entitlement, i.e., rank has its privileges. On the other hand, whoever is lower in the hierarchy deserves paternalism.

It is a vicious circle that Juan de la Cruz can’t seem to undo.

In the meantime, we thrive in “pwede na ‘yan,” as in the status quo.

“PH economy holding up,” Editorial, Manila Standard, 18th Mar 2022.

Are we holding up against what yardstick? Have we forgotten that we are the regional laggard and must borrow tons of money to keep Juan de la Cruz’s body and soul together?

Moreover, we had to borrow tons more because of the pandemic.

“The economy is hanging in despite the twin threats of the pandemic and rising commodity prices in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Philippine economy has more room to grow—it has not fully reopened since COVID-19 began two years ago, while millions of workers have yet to reclaim their jobs.

“Economic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua predicted confidently that the economy was on track to achieve the growth target of 7 percent to 9 percent in 2022, notwithstanding the sharp increase in crude prices and the escalating war in Europe.

“Mr. Chua is relying on the strength of the domestic economy that has not reached its full growth potential. Most of the Philippines is still under Alert Level 1, meaning COVID-19 is still restricting the mobility of the people and preventing the full reopening of commercial establishments.

“The Russia-Ukraine war, meanwhile, may initially impact the Philippine economy, especially domestic pump prices. The conflict, though, may not last. Moreover, the Philippines has limited trade links with Russia and Ukraine.

“The Philippines’ economic expansion, thus, will be driven mainly by the domestic side. The people who lost their jobs from the pandemic should rejoin the economy, and the students and teachers bottled up in their homes for months."

The following is a quote from an earlier posting. If it sounds sickening, it is. Yet, those familiar with the blog would know that it says the same thing over again for thirteen years.

Our predisposition for reform or to change lags those of our neighbors. It isn’t surprising given our “materiales-fuertes culture.” We grew up accepting perfection – and hierarchy and authority. And Padre Damaso didn’t help any.

And at the risk of being immodest, the blog keeps relating my experiences – because even in other countries, they are not typical. For example, two countries, one the wealthiest and the other the poorest in Europe, offered me citizenship.

When I say our best is not good enough, the countless encounters I’ve had in the real world attest to our inability to problem-solve.

Yet, I don’t take credit for myself. Instead, I share the principles that guided them.

For example, given my decades of experience in global business and competitiveness, my Eastern European friends assumed that I would spoon-feed them. But problem-solving is not about rules but principles.

Consider: Innovation is not R&D per se. In other words, no one discipline can take ownership of a problem-solving challenge – that will satisfy the character of this century, i.e., innovation and global competitiveness.

Please recall that I changed the planning and budgeting model in a 200-year-old Fortune 500. And I have done “oversight” at the local, regional, and corporate levels. In other words, even brilliant people from the best schools in the West can’t be the be-all and end-all.

Consider: When I first arrived at the corporate headquarters, the company was doing the plans and budgets for the ensuing year. Things were moving along and approved by Thanksgiving Day.

But I also knew from my time at the Philippine subsidiary and the region that plans and budgets can change. I was reporting to the new president of Asia Pacific, and so I put together a regional meeting, and we chose Bali as the venue. Being new to the company, I knew the region and the players better than her.

“We will invite the country managers and the global marketing and technology leaderships to present their respective approved plans and budgets. We will listen. Our task is to reconcile whatever differences that will come up. But we will not do it ourselves; we will ask them to align their thoughts to agree on how collectively they will manage and run their respective organizations. Still, the final numbers must satisfy the corporate commitment. It is a huge number. What is key is everyone goes away recognizing and accepting where we are, where we want to be, and how we will get there.”

I am thankful to the late Anacleto del Rosario for introducing me to Edward de Bono, the father of lateral and creative thinking.

While I was too young and naïve to run with the “de Bono ball,” it stayed in my subconscious that surfaced every time I encountered real-world challenges.

And here’s the quote again: “What’s preventing Filipinos from getting rich? Extractive institutions allow a small group to extract incomes and wealth from the rest of society and block economic growth to safeguard its interests.

“Powerful groups often stand against the engines of prosperity,” write Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson in Why Nations Fail: The Origins Of Power, Prosperity And Poverty. Economic growth is not just a process of more and better machines and more and better-educated people but also a transformative and destabilizing process associated with widespread creative destruction.

“Growth thus moves forward only if not blocked by the economic losers to protect their economic privileges and by the political losers who fear the erosion of their political power.

“Worse, extractive institutions breed corruption and political oppression.

“The Philippines is the 101 least corrupt country out of 175 countries, according to the 2016 Corruption Perceptions Index reported by Transparency International. The Philippines’ Corruption rank averaged 92.09 from 1995 until 2016, reaching an all-time high of 141 in 2008 and a record low of 36 in 1995. Meanwhile, the country is on and off “martial law.”

“That’s sad news for the future of the Philippines. “Nations fail when they have extractive institutions, supported by extractive political institutions that impede and even block economic growth,” Acemoglu and Robinson.” [“Why Filipinos Remain Poor,” Panos Mourdoukoutas, Forbes, 1st Jun 2017; Mourdoukoutas is Professor and Chair of the Department of Economics at LIU Post in New York; and teaches at Columbia University.]

The bottom line: There are “winners” and “losers.”

Sadly, we are the losers and don’t seem to know any better.

Is our caste system more powerful than the Roman Curia?

Are we more catholic than the pope?

Gising bayan!