Church frowns on folk beliefs on the dead

Filipinos have quite a few folk beliefs when it comes to their dead.

Take the case of Eastern Samar, where it is considered bad luck when a funeral procession passes by the deceased person’s house twice.

Other customs and beliefs to honor their dead in this province include placing a chick on the casket to petition for the dead’s safe passage to the afterlife, and breaking plates before the dead is carried out of the house.

But the Diocese of Borongan reminded the faithful that such beliefs are superstitious and are contrary to the Catholic Church’s teachings.

“Pastors and the faithful alike are to bear in mind that giving in to superstitious beliefs and practices is a denial of true faith and worship,” said Fr. Eutiquio Belizar Jr.

Belizar is a doctor of sacred theology and belongs to the diocese’s Commission on the Doctrine of Faith.

Catechism teaches that the first commandment “forbids honoring gods other than the one Lord who has revealed Himself to His people” and that superstition “represents a perverse excess of religion.”

“Any belief system or the practices that it brings about in a manner opposed to the worship of the true God could be called a superstition,” Belizar said.

In a statement entitled “Cathechetical Perspective on Funeral Superstitions in Eastern Samar,” Belizar reminded Catholics against superstitious beliefs relating to the dead.

Such beliefs are prevalent in Borongan and other parts of Eastern Samar.

In other parts of the Philippines, there are similar superstitions concerning the dead.

“It attributes truth to a belief that has no basis on reason or Catholic teaching; it seems to believe more in the ability of evil sources to inflict harm than in God’s almighty power to prevent it,” Belizar said.

He added that such beliefs “seem to indirectly encourage worship or adherence to evil beings or entities other than God.”

In effect, some Filipinos end up believing the superstitions rather than relying on their faith in God.