ALORAN, a perspective HOLY WEEK

The procession on Good Friday is a classic example of these unwritten contests between the two largest Religions who has the most mass-attendees. One observation I have in a Procession is that Catholics my age are more tamed than their IFI counterparts. Two lines, one arm-length from the one in-front and back. Each side claims to have the 'longest' procession. Catholics say it took them longer to finish the procession because they were just so many and Aglipays say, they appeared shorter because they were so close to each other in the line. In retrospect, I find that amusing, even silly. Now a-days, it is not uncommon for priests, pastors and ministers from different churches in town sitting next to each other attending social and cultural events. I have witnessed the RC and IFI priests play tennis matches, perform wedding where one of the couple belongs to one, and the other, to the other. I think in the 1980s there was a Filipino RC priest and the late then-Padre Diango called each other 'Pre'. As years went by, it has become evident that people are more religious-tolerant now than before. I was in town after a long absence, attending funeral rites of a childhood friend, a Catholic. I was surprised to see another childhood friend from IFI received communion. I later learned that it has been like that for quite some time now. One day, a similar rites at IFI, I saw some Catholics received communion. A big pleasant change.