Deacon encourages parish to grow in ‘cultural intelligence’

Filipino Ministry head wants Catholics to bridge their differences

DELTA

With Mass celebrated in 20 different languages each week in the Archdiocese of Vancouver every week, Catholics of different cultures must learn to better communicate, says the head of Filipino Ministry for the Archdiocese of Vancouver.

“Dialogue with cultures is essential to mission,” said Deacon Greg Barcelon at Immaculate Conception Parish in Delta Jan. 21.

“The goal is not to change other people’s programming, but to appreciate how their programming is different, and from that, to understand what it is from the other person’s culture that is a gift to them and a gift to me.”

Deacon Barcelon, speaking during a parish mission, said culture affects the way a person feels, acts, and thinks. “The reason it’s so exciting to be in community is because we have differences.”

He encouraged all 60 participants to grow in “cultural intelligence,” or the capacity to understand and dialogue with people of other backgrounds.

He noted Cardinal Luis Tagle’s definition of cultural intelligence from a catechesis at last year’s International Eucharistic Congress in the Philippines. The cardinal said “There are three components of cultural intelligence. First, I know my culture and I know how my culture affects my attitudes, priorities, work ethic and relationships.”

Second, said the cardinal, “I study and try to know the cultures of other people so I begin to understand why they behave as they do. The third is I determine the path for my culture and their culture to learn from each other.”

The result of growing in “cultural intelligence,” the cardinal said, is “the affirmation of the beauty of each culture, the diversity of each culture, and walking together towards the common good.”

Deacon Barcelon, relying heavily on Cardinal Tagle’s catechesis during his presentation, said there are two types of “emerging cultures” that the Church must respond to. The first is “alienating individualism.”

“One of the great gifts of our time is the value placed on the individual human person. The appreciation of the person is good and necessary for society,” Cardinal Tagle said.

Unfortunately, he said, healthy individualization “has been pushed to an extreme called ‘individualism' where the individual and the community become enemies.”

The remedy, the cardinal said, is to find ways to be a more welcoming community.

“Are our sacraments and pastoral services accessible to the poor? Are our parishes welcoming to the deaf and other people with disabilities? Do the wounded, lost, shamed, humiliated, and despised find a family in our communities?”

The second emerging culture that the Church must respond to is the “throwaway culture,” a favourite phrase of Pope Francis.

“The Eucharist responds to the throwaway culture with the culture of gift. You never throw away important gifts. Bread and wine, gifts of God, gifts of the earth, and gifts of human hands will become the gift of Jesus’ presence.”

The cardinal encouraged his audience to embrace a “Eucharistic culture.”

“Let us behold Jesus in the Eucharist. Let us allow him to form in us a community of neighbours, brothers and sisters,” he said.

“Let us allow Him to open our eyes, to see – in creation, in persons, in the poor – the discarded but truly gift of God. No one thrown away, only gifts to be treasured. This culture of communion and gift shared will make a Eucharistic community – a real, a credible, presence of Christ.”

Deacon Barcelon explained further that “the Eucharist is the centre of dialogue.”

After his presentation, he invited parishioners of all cultures to the church for prayer and Eucharistic adoration.