BASIC ECCLESIAL COMMUNITY (BEC) AS THE PASTORAL THRUST OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF LINGAYEN-DAGUPAN
The ideas presented here are not just ideas about Basic Ecclesial Community (BEC) but the praxis and lived-experiences of BECs. The Archdiocese of Lingayen Dagupan had embraced the BEC as its thrust in trying to respond to the needs of the Pangasinan people. It is also a sign of vitality within the Church, an instrument of formation and evangelization, and a solid starting point for a new society based on a civilization of love. The present situation in the Archdiocese would make the organization and formation of BECs inescapable.
1.Church Context
Viewing the Church from a wider perspective, several trends may be observed: (1) the rapid growth of the Church in terms of membership, (2) the development of a truly Filipino Church under Filipino leadership, (3) the growing emphasis on the role of laity, (4) the shift of the pastoral priority in favor of the poor and oppressed. (5) the Church's increasing concern for social issues and in social transformation. The observation of PCP II with regard to parishes, notwithstanding the definition of a parish as a community, has been validated in the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan situation, that is, the parishes are too large and the number of priests to care for them is few. The sense of belonging to the parish is weak. To talk about the parish as community is wishful thinking since it is hardly experienced as such. In the words of PCP II: Our Parishes are usually too big at present. It is not unusual to have one priest ministering to 20,000 people or more. The national ratio of priest to people, if we include doing non-parochial work is about one priest to 10,000 people, most of whom are Catholics. Under such circumstances, the parish priest will scarcely be able to truthfully say of his parishioners, "I know my sheep and mine know me (Jn. 10, 14). The parishioners tend to become part of an anonymous mass, except for the relatively small group of regular churchgoers. It is no wonder, that many are neglected, do not feel a sense of belonging, have no commitment to the parish, and drift away from the church or are won over by other Christian groups. These trends are reflected in the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP II). The PCP II document sums up the Philippine Church's understanding of the Philippine context, and her identity and mission within this context. The BECs are considered as an expression and concrete realization of the PCP II vision of the renewed Church. Hence, the emergence of BECs becomes clearer.
2. Pangasinan Experience
A. The Socio-Cultural Context
The Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan is primarily a network of basic grassroots communities. There are cultural values that are inherent to the Pangasinan people like: pakikisama (pi-piolop), bayanihan (pitatagnawa, pigagamal), and pakikipagkapwa-tao (parigo, pi-totoo). These values are often centered on the primary group or the small group the family, the circle of friends, and the local community. The BECs therefore thrive in this social and cultural setting.
B. Local Ecclesial Context
The perversion of the situations in the following aspects economy, politics, socio-cultural and faith and morals, calls for the formation of BECs in the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan. From the viewpoint of economy, the situation in the Archdiocese in the same a that of the whole country. There is a big gap between the rich and the poor. There appears to be a concentration of wealth and resources in the hands of a few. The economic structure is dominated by the local economic elite The political situation also looks bleak. Only the rich and already in power are sure to win elections because of the so-called three Gs-guns, goons and gold or the three Ps-power, personality and patronage. There is still massive vote buying. And there is also what they call the "culture of silence" among the majority of the people. Those holding power don't want to step down any longer. Nepotion is often times exercised by those in power. After their term, their relatives usually take-over there posts. There is no more what we call "alternative leadership". In socio-cultural situation, the cultural heritage of the Pangasinenses is gradually being lost. More and more of the young people no longer speak the dialect and they gradually becoming rootless culturally-they have already forgotten the Pangasinan dances, songs, characteristically Pangasinan traits of being deeply religious (marasal tan matakot of Diyos), respectful respectful (magalang), patient (ma-anos tan pasensiyoso), diligent (makuli) and friendly (maka-aro tan ma-imis). When it comes to the practice of the faith, the Pangasinenses are afflicted by the dichotomy of life and faith. They have a higher regard for devotional liturgy rather than the Eucharist. I believe that further study should be given into this. In the sacraments, they consider the party (ponsia) more valuable rather than the reception itself of the sacrament. The deeply religious practices of "oracion", prayers in the family, are gradually being lost. There are very few who are really committed to their faith. Many sects are proliferating. Pangasinenses are not yet aware of such realities as "social justice", "social awareness", and "community belongingness" Only those belonging to the religious organizations are considered "church", and the people in the barangays are marginalized In order to address the abovementioned socio-cultural and ecclesial context in which BECs have emerged, it's good to note some important characteristics shared by the BEC. An essential characteristic of the BECs is that these are small, face-to-face communities. The members know each other deeply and relate to each other in a more intimate way. The members are not too far apart to come together fairly frequently. There is a certain degree of permanence among the members and there is also mutual sharing, caring and support. Their community strives for common goals and concerns. There is unity and togetherness. But there do not live in isolation nor are they autonomous from the parish and the local Church. They are a part of the network of small communities within the parish and the diocese. The parish priest and the bishop exercise pastoral leadership over these BECs. The most common activity of the BECs is reflecting on the Word of God The Word of God builds the community. It can be bible sharing or reflection in the homes of the members or it can be in the chapel where there is a bible service-weekly and regularly. It can also be done on special occasions like wakes, funerals, birthday celebrations, planting and harvesting, Holy Week and Easter Celebrations, in conformity to liturgical norm
The Eucharist deepens their being a community and its celebrations become more meaningful in the context of their community. In their community however also includes the popular devotions, rosaries, novenas, family rituals, as well the other sacraments as vehicles and as expressions to deepen their being a community. Their concerns are not limited only to "spiritual" matters. They are also concerned with the material well-being of the members and with the issue of justice. Ecological concerns of the community are also addressed. In the BECs, the poor at the grassroots become aware that they are members of the Church. They can also say to themselves that they, too, are the Church that they are the People of God. They are not just recipients of the Church's charitable projects. They are made aware that they too, materially poor, have something to share and contribute to the cause of the Church. It is for these reasons then, that I wish to argue that BEC in the Parish of Saint Fabian had survived for the last ten (10) years because to a great extent had deepened the community life of the people. It had resonated well with their values, attitudes and their longings as a people. The need for Church's workers and the need to respond to the call of the sign of the times make me aware that there is much to be done. Indeed, "the harvest is plenty, but the laborers are few." I believed that the task is difficult and challenging. I can sense deep in my heart that God called me for this particular service in and to the Church. One indication was, I was chosen by the good Archbishop as a lay representative to the BEC Formation-Exposure in the Prelature of Ipil in Zamboanga Del Sur on November 24-30, 1997 (ef. Circular Letter n. 17. 1997). From now then on, I became the Lay Coordinator of the BEC formation program in the Parish. As a BEC Coordinator, I personally conduct the formation program in the different barangays, see to it that it was properly implemented and sustained, facilitate the conduct of monthly meetings and gatherings of all BEC coordinators in the Parish; and participate with the community during prayer meetings and gatherings. Pertinent information that leads to the coming up of the study are mostly taken from the Archdiocesan Manual on BEC from the Pastoral and Administrative Documents of the Archdiocese of Lingayen Dagupan. The book on Building Basic Ecclesial Communities, Case Studies from the Philippine Experiences which chronicles the struggle of people, particularly the poor, to transform the self, the community, and the Church with faith, courage and imagination, gives me a renewed spirit of aspiration within the Church of the Poor to build God's kingdom on earth. My library research really helped me find potential references. Of course, my deepest gratitude to my mentor and advisor, Madam Leony, who has been very kind and patient enough to critic and give professional advises for the organization of my paper. "Baleg a Salamat ed Sikayo!"
II. BODY
A. BIBLICAL BASES FOR BASIC ECCLESIAL COMMUNITIES
The summaries in Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2: 42-27, 4: 32-35, Revised Standard Version), give a model of the Church as communion. The idea of communion is closely linked with the communitarian understanding of the Church. The Christian community is brought into being by the Holy Spirit, and it is the same Spirit that unites the members of the community (the fellowship of the Holy Spirit). It is also formed by the Apostolic proclamation of the Gospel. The members of the community are intimately related. They regard one another as friends and as brothers and sisters. The bond that unites them is their faith in Jesus Christ. Hence it is a communion of faith. Communion is deepened through the "breaking of the bread which they celebrate in memory of Christ. And this is also concretely expressed through their sharing of goods so that there is no one in need among them. The vision of the Church in Acts of the Apostles can be linked with BECs. In "Community and Ministry" Asian Colloquium on Ministries in the Church (Hong Kong, Federation of Asian Bishops' Conference, February 7 March 5, 1977); Research and Background Papers ed. Pedro de Achutegui (Manila: FABC, 1977), it is stated: The Acts of the Apostles witnesses to the unity of mind and heart, and to the sharing of goods, spiritual and material, which characterized the Christian community at Jerusalem. Communion through sharing appears from the earliest days a Christian ideal. This fellowship expresses itself in common faith and prayer, in listening together to the Word of God, in sharing a common table and in the breaking of the bread, in mutual concern, corporate witness and concerted missionary endeavor. Transposed to a more theological terminology, this means that the Christian community is a prophetic community, a celebrating community, a serving community. The spreading of phenomenon of "Basic Christian Communities" is among the most characteristic manifestation of this new search for Christian community building.
The summaries in Acts would then suggest that communion must be lived in the context of the local Christian Community or the particular Church such as the Archdiocese of Lingayen Dagupan. It therefore defines the relationship among believers in the fellowship of the faithful the communion of the faithful. The local community is the primary matrix where Christian values are lived unity in mind and heart, fraternal love, sharing and service.
B. CHURCH DOCUMENTS ON BASIC ECCLESIAL COMMUNITIES
(BECS AS CONCRETIZATION OF THE ECCLESIOLOGY OF COMMUNION, PARTICIPATION AND MISSION).
1. VATICAN II DOCUMENTS
The most important and dominant ecclesiological concept in Vatican II is that of the Church as communion. Below are texts from Vatican II regarding the concept of the Church as communion: In Lumen Gentium (LG) 1: The Church is regarded as a sacrament of communion "since the Church, in Christ, is in the nature of sacramenta sign and instrument, that is, of communion with God and of unity among all men."
In LG 4: "The universal Church is wen to be a people brought into unity from the unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." LG 7 and 11 brings out the role of the Eucharist in signifying and realizing the communion of the People of God with one another and with God. LG 8 combines the inner, transcendent communion with the outer, visible communion when it says. "The one mediator, Christ, established and ever sustains here on earth His holy Church, the community of faith, hope and charity 1.G 9 describes the People of God as a communion of life, love, and truth. That the communion of the faithful can be concretely realized in the context of the local church or the local communities.
2.PAPAL PRONOUNCEMENTS
(BECS AS LOCI OF REALIZATION OF ECCLESIAL COMMUNION)
John Paul II affirmed that ecclesial communion may be realized at the level of the BECs echoing Paul VI and the 1985 Synod of Bishops: Every Community, if it is to be Christian, must be founded on Christ and live in him, as it listens to the Word of God, focuses its prayer on the Eucharist, lives in a communion marked by oneness of the heart and soul, and shares according to the needs of its members (Cf. Acts 2, 4247). As Pope Paul VI recalled, every community must live in union with the particular and the universal Church, in heartfelt communion with the Church's Pastors and the Magesterium, with a commitment to missionary outreach and without yielding to isolationism or Ideological exploitation. And the Synod of Bishops stated. Because the Church is communion, the new "basic communities", if they truly live in unity with the Church are a true expression of communion and a means for the construction of a more profound communion. They are thus cause for great hope for the life of the church. BECs are to be understood therefore within the framework of the church vision as communion, participation and mission.
3. PLENARY COUNCIL OF THE PHILIPPINES II (PCP II)
PCP II states: "Our vision of the Church as communion, participation, and mission, about the Church as a priestly, prophetic, and kingly people and as a Church of the Poor-a Church that is renewed - is today finding expression in one ecclesial movement. This is the movement to foster Basic Ecclesial Communities."
4. THE ARCHDIOCESE OF LINGAYEN-DAGUPAN PASTORAL PLAN
Archdiocese of Lingayen - Dagupan is called by the Father to be healed, to be whole, to be holy, to be believers and thus become a Living Body of His Son within the culture of Pangasinan whose history is linked to the cross, to be the salt and radiating center of evangelization to the surrounding regions including Asia. Through the Blessed Mother, Our Lady of Manaoag, the empowered clergy with the prophetic role and other charisms, with the participating laity are called to constitute a serving, worshipping, and evangelizing community who are in solidarity as they journey with the Guidance of the Holy Spirit towards the Kingdom of God.
C. FORMATION OF BASIC ECCLESIAL COMMUNITIES
The Archdiocesan Pastoral Assembly (APA) held in 1996 promulgated the Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan (cf. APA Documents, Appendix C). Among the programs of the Pastoral Plan is the formation of Basic Ecclesial Communities (BEC) in the Archdiocese (cf. APA Documents, p.12). To begin implementing this program, the Archbishop, through a Circular Letter (n. 17, 1997) sent from each Vicariate a group composed of priest and lay faithful to the Prelature of Ipil, Zamboanga Del Sur, to undergo a BEC FROMATION-EXPOSURE from November 24-30, 1997. After the practicum in the Prelature of Ipil, the Vicarinte team conducted the Basic Orientation Seminar (BOS) on BEC to the different parishes. This gives awareness to the parish priests and to their purishioners about the what, the why and the how BEC should be formed in their parishes. In the Parish of Saint Fabian, when our parish priest celebrated regular mass in the barangays, he announced the Archdiocesan Program about BEC. He told the people when the parish core team would conduct the BOS in the barangay chapel and invited them to come. The parish core team conducted the BOS at the appointed time for those who were present. Since the BOS participants did not come from the same neighborhood, the BEC core team concentrated on the group living close to each other and organized them into the first BECs. The first BEC prayer sessions were held in one of the homes of the community members. The other participants were asked to attend the prayer sessions and other activities of the organized community. From this time on, the members of the community took turns in hosting the prayer sessions. The participants who were not members of the organized community began to inform the people of their neighborhood about the BEC and soon asked the core team to also give the BOS in their neighborhood in order to form their own community. In this way new communities were formed and multiplied. At present, there are more than 50 BEC in the Parish. About 15-20 neighboring families/households are represented in each community. Each BEC has its own set of officers namely: President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. A total of approximately 1000 people attend the weekly prayer sessions as can be gnuged by the number of weekly prayer guided printed weekly.
D. ACTIVITIES
The following are the activities of the BECS: The BECs meet regularly every week at a day and time decided by the group. The members gather to hold their weekly prayer sessions and other acts like the discussion of their local social problems evaluation of the situation of there) BEC and planning/scheduling of their activities in the homes of the member-families. As noted above, the member families take turns in hosting the prayer sessions. The parish BEC core team publishes a weekly complete guide for the BEC prayer sessions. Below is the format of these sessions.