Pre-Colonial Religion and Folk Catholicism in the Philippines

Pre-colonial Religion and Folk Catholicism

It is amazing how manuscripts and historical evidence from centuries back constantly go under the microscope, as modern-day historians try to piece together the facts, reinterpreting history and making connections from historical facts that never seemed to be connected in the first place. This cycle of re-examining and reinterpretation is the stuff that makes historiography, and it is one that goes on and on. A particular example is the journal article I am reviewing, entitled "Folk Catholicism and Pre-Spanish Religion in the Philippines" by Charles J-H Macdonald, published in Philippine Studies.

The article by Macdonald talks at length about how pre-conquest beliefs, although usually believed to be pagan and "animist" actually have similarities with the Catholic faith in terms of structure. Macdonald notes; however, that the term "animism" brings about many misconceptions about indigenous belief systems. When one hears animism, he would think about a belief system that relies on natural phenomenon- the sun, the moon and the stars. However, such is a simplistic view of the indigenous beliefs. These conceptions mask us from realizing that ancient Filipino beliefs actually centered on organized pantheons, worshipping supernatural beings with specific names and functions- very much like most of the dominant religions present today. An example noted by Macdonald was a ritual feast recorded and described by the missionaries in the late 16th century. The ritual had included a communal meal, food and wine offered to idols, and prayers with the presence of the baylan. This feast was for Batala and Diwata. They had described the ritual as a "drunken revel", which lasted for seven to eight days. Noteworthy to Macdonald was how this was very similar to the feasts in modern indigenous faith in Palawan. From his anthropological work spent in Palawan, he found out that this feast was meant for health and prosperity, followed a strict calendar, strict rituals and had symbolic meanings in all its forms. The different idols present in the ceremony represented the different diwatas and had different personalities. The complexity of such ceremonies is astounding, as one would think that these were not present in pre-Catholic times. Because of this nature of pre-conquest belief, Macdonald draws a connection as to how this had affected Christianization in the Philippines. An argument he raises at the beginning of the article is on Christianity and polytheism. We know that Christianity is a monotheistic religion, with God as the Supreme Being, and even a commandment that prohibits the worship of other gods. In early Tagalog religion, the creator god can only be approached through intercessors like deities and deceased relatives, which is why the early Filipinos worshipped these intermediaries. A similar concept is the many saints in Catholic tradition, who have different attributes and whom Catholics can ask for help. A much closer concept would be Folk Catholicism, which is the outright devotion to different saints. The point is, although early Filipino beliefs are considered polytheistic, it is undeniable that certain indicators lead to say that some concepts of present-day Filipino Folk Catholicism are polytheistic as well. It was mentioned in the article that Max Weber had noted how Mediterranean Catholicism in its folk version, tended towards polytheism. Macdonald then asserts that Spanish missionaries who came to the Philippines might have also preached a brand of their own "Spanish peasant folk Catholicism". The regular clergy, as mentioned in our readings and in this particular text, amassed much power and control over the Filipino masses during the colonial period. The first few waves of missionaries were unquestionably scholars and theologians of the highest order. However, the next waves of missionaries were said to have come from Spanish monasteries- they were simple peasants with usually no higher education. Aside from this, the different religious orders taught varying things, like the Jesuits from the Augustinians. The folk belief of missionaries usually included superstitions and the veneration of saints, which we would think was similar to the folk Filipino religion. This brings to light some readings mentioned in class that talked about how Filipinos were easily converted by the religious missionaries. Perhaps it is because the concepts in pre-Catholic and Catholic beliefs being taught to them are similar in nature and form. Important points mentioned by Macdonald included what might have been the thought process of the native Filipino. As we have learned throughout the semester and as mentioned previously, the priests held much power and control over communities in the Philippines. They would even have special roles of collecting taxes, and things like that. We would then find out later that their powerful leaders would sometimes clash with the military arm of the Spanish in the Philippines. Having this said, the early Filipinos had little choice but to follow and be converted. Since the brand of Christianity being taught to them were folk in nature, and had somewhat of a polytheistic