Attention: Catholic Filipinos
“Just as it is gravely wrong to take from individuals what they can accomplish by their own initiatives and industry and give it to the community, so also it is an injustice and at the same time a grave evil and disturbance of right order to assign to a greater and higher association what lesser subordinate organizations can do.” (Pius XI, Encyclical Letter Quadragesimo Anno, 1931 and John Paul II Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, 1991).
The word “subsidiary” is defined by Webster as “acting as a supplement; giving aid, service, etc.; company controlled by another company which owns most of its shares.” “Subsidiarity” on the other hand, would mean assigning to the lower organizations things – effectively and efficiently managed by them and to the high organization the things or responsibilities it can effectively and efficiently administer, “Subsidiarity” may also be understood as any assistance offered by a higher social entity to lower social entities for the enhancement of the latter’s initiative, freedom and responsibility.
Every Catholic must be aware that the principle of subsidiarity is a very important principle of social philosophy of the Catholic Church. Thus, every Catholic is called upon to pursue, defend and promote this social doctrine of our Church.
Our former Pope John Paul II once wrote on the subject: “It is impossible to promote the dignity of the person without showing concern for the family, groups, associations, local territorial realities; in short, for that of economic, social, cultural, sports-oriented, recreational; professional and political expressions to which people spontaneously give life and which make it possible for them to achieve effective social growth…. On the basis of this…all societies of a superior order must adopt attitudes of help (‘subsidium’) – therefore of support, promotion, development – with respect to lower order societies. In this way, intermediate social entities can properly perform the functions that fall to them without being required to hand them over unjustly to other social entities of a higher level, by which they would end up being absorbed and substituted, in the end seeing themselves denied their dignity and essential place.”
Clearly our good Pope envisioned the danger and evil of the possible abuses of the people by a higher – level social organization. Thus, it is not good to stipple the creativity of people at the lower – level of social organizations for they have “something original to offer to the community.” That’s why the principle of subsidiarity is very essential to our Church’s social teachings. That’s why it is a very important principle in our Church’s organization itself. Hence, every Catholic must know and understand this matter, and exert their own efforts for the attainment, protection and promotion of this principle in our own society.
But, and a big BUT at that, the opposite is happening in our country. This indeed is very unfortunate, more so that great majority of the Filipinos are Catholics! We better wake up and wise up. Hear this well: “The principle of subsidiarity is opposed to certain forms of centralization, bureaucratization, and welfare assistance and to unjustified and excessive presence of the State in public mechanisms. By intervening directly and depriving society of its responsibility, the Social Assistance State leads to a loss of human energies and an inordinate increase of public agencies, which are dominated more by bureaucratic ways of thinking than by concern for serving their clients, and which they are accompanied by an enormous increase in spending! An absent or insufficient recognition of private initiative – in economic matters also – and the failure to recognize its public function, contribute to the undermining of the principle of subsidiarity, as monopolies do as well.” This statement is taken from the book “Conpendium of the Social doctrine of the Church” (2004).
This Unitary System of government we have ever since we got our independence is wreaking havoc to our people to the point that presently our nation is now in crisis. The evil that this highly – centralized and bureaucratic government brought about to our country can never be overemphasized. The sad part is that majority of the Catholic Filipinos do not have a clear idea of the root cause of our predicament as a people. That’s why we do hope that this article would be a help in their enlightenment.
There is only one way to really address the above problem and that is to shift to a Federal System of government which is governed by the principle of subsidiarity resulting to a highly-decentralized government. That’s the reason why we, members of the Citizen’s Movement for a Federal Philippines (CMFP) who are strongly advocating for the shift to a Federal System of government for many years now are very passionate anent the federalism issue. We are very much aware that we must dismantle this obsolete and unjust highly centralized Unitary System in our country for the good of our people. That’s why we appeal to our fellow Filipinos especially Catholics to support the CMFP’s advocacy on federalism which is guided by the principle of subsidiarity in line with the social doctrine of the Catholic Church.
