Popular Religiosity

The coming to Davao of the holy relic of St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina and the thousands of devotees patiently lining up to touch it brings to mind what is usually called “Filipino popular religiosity”.

By this term is meant that the Filipino people express their devotion to God and religious persons through the veneration of material signs and symbols connected with their holiness of life and teaching.

The two most popular devotions are the images and statues, even paintings and photos, of the Santo Niño and the Black Nazarene. Second in popularity are those images and statues of the Virgin Mary in their many titles like Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Virgen de la Regla, etc.

The most common gestures of veneration are the touchings by the hand or wipings with the handkerchief. Of course, these accompanied by vocal or mental praying of the Our Father and the Hail Mary plus the signs of the cross. There are other gestures and motions whose symbolisms are difficult to understand.

Many bishops and priests have tried to give the correct meaning and understanding of these devotional practices by emphasizing the centrality of the Trinitarian background, the focus on the Risen Lord in all the sacraments and the Divine Presence in the Eucharistic celebration. But it has been difficult to make people understand.

One reason for the difficulty is culture. Regional cultures like the Sinulog in Cebu, the Ati-atihan in Kalibo, the Dinagyang in Iloilo, etc. are difficult to purify. It has been aggravated by commercialism.

But one important truth we must accept and be grateful for the deep and simple faith of many of our people.