The Catholic Faithful has seemingly felt to be somehow defenseless with the propaganda upsurge of various anti-Catholic sects and denominations, and lately, some forms of atheistic philosophical systems.  These enemies of the faith attack the church and her teachings by utilizing misinterpretations in the Holy Scriptures and Scientific Studies.  In effect,  the affected Catholic Faithful either goes out of the catholic fold, becomes indifferent or stays in the church but with a demoralized faith due to ostensible difficulties in answering these questions of faith.

The irony is that the church, through its magesterium and holy traditions, has in its deposit of faith from all antiquity to the present generation, all the answers to these questions.  It is only a matter of translating this treasury of faith into the current and common language of the faithful in our evangelization program.

It is true that the church hierarchy has responded to this problem of evangelization.  The bishops have already issued guidelines on how to respond to these acts of proselytizing targeting the Catholic Faithful. However, the church lacks regular workers and the evangelization crusades seem to be inadequate. Oftentimes, the efforts are allegedly inappropriate inasmuch as the apologetic catecheses are embedded in high-sounding theologies and therefore non-tangential to the needs of the masses. This is because the faithful has the greater craving for more simple and bible-based argumentations, written or spoken in the vernaculars, and in the lingo and religious parlance of the public. Ironically, our theologies have not been fully translated to the level of inculturation needed for the internalization in the living faith of the masses. The Second Vatican Council has long prophesized on the needs of our times towards inculturation but the process of implementation seems to be tedious and protracted.

In certain angles, the need for apologetic catechesis has been usually ignored, either placed on the sidelines or totally taken for granted due to lack of regular bible-based catechists and preachers and the absence of a support system to back up this type of evangelization. Moreover, the pressure from higher authorities to focus on the ecumenical movement has further weakened the resolve of the faithful to adequately rise up to the bible challenge of these anti-catholic sects.  The growing problems of the parishes in the sociological, political and environmental spheres have burdened much the parish priests to focus on administrative and pastoral matters. The task of overseeing adult catechism and apologetic catechesis can not be therefore fully handled. Fortunately, the growth of the cursillo and the charismatic movement in the parishes has been somehow sustaining the hold over the masses who are being lured away by these anti-Catholic sects. Alarmingly, the lack of proper fundamental theology in these charismatic-type organizations and movements has opened avenues for an alternative fundamentalism to creep into these  “spiritualistic” groups.

Meanwhile, efforts to spread the scriptural mode of evangelization parallel to that of the vigor of the separated brethren have been partly jeopardized by some extreme modernism in the exegetical approach which resulted to the confusion in the re-interpretation of the dogmas and praxes of the church.  The modern exegesis had been hurting the traditional views of the common faithful and may possibly further antagonize the simple faith of the masses.  There is also the emergence of some ultra-conservatism and spiritualistic tendencies mirroring the Gnostic shadows of the past and the creeping of certain forms of modern occultism and new order concepts.

Presently, the anti-Catholic sects have continued to dominate the public forum and as well as the print and the broadcast media.  Sad to say, our church lacks the appropriate radio program, television and print media which can somehow respond to the needs of the Catholic Faithful.  The Catholic Church has been contented with her prayer, healing and charitable ministries.

Until now, the anti-Catholic faithful believes that the Catholic Church can not satisfactorily answer their essential questions on faith in the level that the common faithful can adequately appreciate. This is punctuated by their compulsiveness to challenge the Catholic authorities in any form of debate and discussions.  The attempts of our priests to face them in public discussion have never been advantageous since our priests can not possibly go down to the unprofessional level of extreme literalism of these sects in the utilization of the Holy Scriptures in public exposition. Fielding on the frontline the exegetes and scholars of the church to face these anti-Catholic sects has never been advisable due to the extreme fundamentalism and lack of educational background of their workers, pastors and orators.

Our church has to safeguard the faith of our people. In the midst of the lack of regular church workers, the laymen are empowered to carry out vital roles in the evangelization program. The experiences of the laymen are the most potent and effective tools in overhauling our apologetic catechesis to truly defend our faith and uplift the faith and hope of the masses. The Second Vatican Council has underscored the need for the laymen to advance the goals of evangelization in the modern world.

Very few church groups are engaged in apologetic catechesis.  Two (2) of the recognized apologetic groups of the Catholic Church are Catholic Faith Defenders (CFD) in the Visayas and Mindanao areas and the Saint Peter’s Men Society (SPMS) in Luzon especially in Metro Manila. The success of the CFD in the Visayas is highly remarkable as could be reflected in the strong faith of the Catholics in these regions. The CFD has even produced numerous debaters who can face anti-Catholic debaters in formal stage debates.  Here in Luzon, the Saint Peter’s Men Society (SPMS), for over sixty (60) years now, has internalized the technique of conducting ecumenical discussions with these anti-Catholic sects and denominations.  SPMS has in fact engaged them in public debates and discussions, especially in public parks, worship centers of these fundamentalist sects, and other venues for exchange of ideas and arguments regarding the Christian Faith.

Nowadays, the anti-Catholic sects have already diffused much of their proselytizing efforts by not only conducting house-to-house visitations but through the tri-media using enormous publications, leaflets, pamphlets and manuals and airing of their programs over the radio and television so as to continue their virulent attacks against the Catholic Faith.

Ironically, the apologetical groups to include the CFD and the SPMS were left in the sidelines due to lack of financial capability to fund radio and television evangelization which could equal their predominantly foreign-based resources.

The Philippine-based apologetic groups are trying to penetrate the tri-media to cope up with the proselytizing efforts of the anti-Catholic groups.  Let us just pray that the personal funding being extended by individual apologists can sustain the protracted war waged by these anti-Catholic groups. Above all, the humble apologetic catechesis which we shall be ventilating through this medium is envisioned to bring Christ with more meaning and wisdom in our troubled Catholic communities and in the sphere in which we should effect the change to make it truly Christian and subsequently more Catholic.