Fr. Manuel Flores, SJ
December 16, 2018
2019 has been declared by the CBCP as the “Year of the Youth.” In the gospel, after hearing John the Baptist’s call to repentance the crowd asked John the critical question “What should we do?” (Lk 3:10).
Let us then look at the 3 great hungers of the Filipino youth today to guide us on what we can do for them on this Year of the Youth.
1) The Hunger for Food. “I was hungry and you fed me” (Mt 25:35)
What is stunting? This is the failure of children to reach their optimum height and weight
because of the chronic malnutrition of the child in the first 2 yrs. This often begins with the malnutrition of their pregnant and lactating mothers.
33% of Filipino children are stunted, the worst rate in Southeast Asia! Mindanao is the most pathetic, where 40% of children are stunted, the same rate as in Sub-Saharan Africa! Of the 193 countries in the world the Philippines ranked 9th in the total number of stunted children. (Ned Olney, country director of Save the Children Phils.)
Scientific evidence shows that the effects of chronic malnutrition in the first 2 years of a child are IRREVERSIBLE! Stunted children have a higher mortality for the first 5 years, because they are more vulnerable to infections, and because they recover more slowly from illness.
The brain is also stunted, shrunken, undeveloped, resulting in lower IQs. This leads to poor education attainment, lower cognitive test scores, delayed enrolment, higher absenteeism and more class repetition.
As adults they have less physical capacity for work because they cannot reach their ideal size. Even worse, they have a low capacity for any work that requires significant thinking. This reduced future economic productivity continues the cycle of poverty where they will most likely produce stunted children similar to themselves, the perfect fodder for our politicians.
The crowds asked John the Baptist, “What should we do?”
Have a “First 1,000 days Program” for both pregnant women and children up to 2-3 years old. This is the most critical to prevent stunting physical and mental stunting!
Begin this Christmas helping even ONE malnourished child, or ONE pregnant or lactating mother!
2) The Hunger for Dignity. “I was naked and you clothed me” (Mt 25:36)
On the abuse of children and youth, the UNICEF and the Philippine Council for the Welfare of Children in their 2016 first nationwide survey of children and youth aged 13-24 found that 3 out 5 of children and youth suffer some form of physical or psychological abuse. 1 out of 3 received more severe punishment like slapping, kicking or burning. More than 60 percent of the cases of physical violence happened at home.
On sexual abuse, 70% of all rapes are committed against children and the youth. 1 out of 5 children and youth have been sexually abused. 1 in 10 children experienced sexual abuse in their own homes, where the perpetrators could be the fathers and family members. Sexual abuse of children occurs at the rate of 2 every minute. Because of the poverty and the English proficiency of Filipino children, the Philippines is now the world center of cybersex against children (the US Dept. of Labor already saw this in 2014). Primarily, girls are the victims of sexual trafficking in urban to rural areas, but reports also indicate that boys are increasingly abused particularly in child pornography by pedophiles.
A child who is the victim of prolonged sexual abuse usually develops 1) low self-esteem, a feeling of worthlessness; 2) an abnormal or distorted view of sex; 3) The child may become withdrawn and mistrustful of adults; 4) can become suicidal; 5) can often become abusers themselves.
The crowds asked John the Baptist, “What should we do?”
Break the silence! Like germs, evil grows in the dark, and dies when exposed to sunlight! Empower caregivers through responsible parenthood programs. Empower children by guiding them to be safe online. Identify online hotlines for reporting abusers and pedophiles. Support child/youth rescue operations. Provide legal support for the survivors and their families. Partner with local shelters (like the RGS or Religious of the Good Shepherd sisters) Help communities reintegrate rescued children.
Begin with even ONE child now, preventing or rescuing him/her from abuse!
3) The Hunger for God. “Let the little children come to me” (Mk 10:14)
Why does Vietnam have one of the highest rates of Church attendance in the world with 98% of Vietnamese Catholics regularly attending Sunday Mass? The strongest explanation for this is that even if they have no Catholic schools, 96% of their youth receive very good faith formation in the parishes from 5-16 yrs old. They use the youth to youth strategy where younger children are shepherded by the older youth under adult supervision.
What is the situation in the Philippines? Fr. Catalino Arevalo cites a 2000 study by a CBCP commission which found that only 6% of all Filipino youth received “significant religious instruction” even if we include the youth in Catholic schools. (Proportion of schools: Public 84.5%, Catholic 11%, other private 4.5% ). According to Fr. Arevalo “The youth are not leaving the Church, they are simply not being reached!”
The SWS research in March 2017 found that the Catholic Church has the lowest rate of weekly church attendance: Iglesia ni Cristo at 90%; Muslims at 81%; and other Christians at 71%; last are the Catholics at only 41%.
According to the same CBCP study cited by Fr. Catalino Arevalo in 2000, at the rate the Church was losing members, the Philippines would no longer be a Catholic country in 40 years. Tita de Villa, a former ambassador to Rome, blames the decline in churchgoers on the failure of families to sustain values formation among young people. “It is very important that families should start to form their children in faith while they are young.”
The crowds asked John the Baptist, “What should we do?”
Bring young children to mass! teach basic prayers and bible stories. To initially attract youth, use 4F strategy used by many evangelical groups: “Friendship, Food, Fun then Faith”
Begin with even ONE small child now!
Give one child the gift of knowing Christ this Christmas!
This Christmas, the Christ child will not be found in the manger
but in the stunted child,
in the violated child,
in the child so pitifully ignorant of God.
May you find Him!