MANILA, October 28, 2009—In the month of November in which the universal Church tradition¬ally commemorates all of the faithful departed, visits to the graves of loved ones has been a popular custom in the Philippines.

But what the Catholic Church celebrates as a solemn commemoration has turned into occasions of rather inappropriate pastimes such as gambling, drunkenness, noise-making, or simply the senseless crowding of people that has led to road rage and shooting incidents.

Fr. Gerry S. Patio, editor of Theological Centrum Documentation Service, said there is a need for a greater understanding of the Christian reverence for the bodies of the dead as well as of Christian death in general in the light of the promise of a future resurrection.

Patio, a Theology graduate of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome and with more than 10 years of pastoral work experience behind him, has observed that in the Philippines, people are generally and openly pious and the state still respects, in some way, the religious heritage of the people.

For example, he said that many people still observe commemorations such as All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day as shown in the vast crowds flocking to the cemeteries of grave sites in those days.

He added that the government, no matter under whose administration, facilitate the commemoration of these Christian traditions by declaring these days as public non-working holidays and by providing assistance of the police and other agencies to help maintain public order.

Patio also observed that, on the other hand, many people must have forgotten the true meaning of these commemorations as seen in the lack of atmosphere of prayer in the visits to cemeteries and other similar occasions such as wakes or funerals.

The very purpose why the Church calls the people to gather together is for them to pray and to console one another and to meditate together about the meaning of God being with us whether in life and or in death.

But the way things are, Patio said, it seems that these gatherings have turned into reunions at best, or gambling or drinking sprees at worst. To stress his point, Fr Patio said "We visit cemeteries to pray for the dead, not to disturb them."

To support the Church's effort to re-evangelize popular occasions such as All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, Theological Centrum Documentation Service dedicates some of its monthly issues on Purgatory and the importance of offering prayers for the dead and other related topics like Cremation.

Patio said that every issue of the Documentation Service is monographic, that is, dedicated to a concrete topic, oftentimes of current interest in the Church or society. The publication is meant to be an excellent resource for personal enrichment and to prepare conferences, talks and homilies.

In the same vein of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, Fr Patio also presented another catechetical tool and devotional, a booklet titled, Novena for the Dead, compiled by Fr. Fernand Cruz, S.T.D., and published by Theological Centrum. Novena for the Dead puts together not only prayers and readings but also the relevant Christian doctrine about death.

As Fr Roy Cimagala, a former Editor of the Theological Centrum Documentation Service, has observed “the Novena for the Dead is a booklet meant to help strengthen our faith in Christian death, giving us a clear picture of the why and wherefore of our life and death here on earth.”

Cimagala added that “a very interesting part of the Novena for the Dead is the prayer called, Acceptance of Death, which concludes the novena.”

He said "to me, it captures the ideal over-all attitude we should have toward death, putting it in a good light, like a friend or sister and not a hunter eager to hunt us down."

The former Editor of the Theological Centrum Documentation Service cited that even in these high-tech times, devotionals like Novena for the Dead are still relevant.

First, "because often our goodwill for the dead is not adequately supported by solid devotional acts. Precisely because of this, many of us find ourselves clumsy. We do not know what to say or do. So this booklet will help take away that awkwardness."

Second, "it will help deepen our faith and enhance our piety for the dead, providing us with appropriate thoughts, words and gestures. It can give more meaning to our commemoration of the dead, freeing us also from traces of superstition that unfortunately have also found their way into our practices through the years. It is a good material to have when visiting wakes or cemeteries, celebrating death anniversaries or All Souls’ Day." (Fr. Mickey Cardenas)