The latest statement of the CBCP on Liturgy repeats familiar themes, but now places greater emphasis on what they call Liturgical Inculturation. The bishops encourage cultures to offer homage to God through the Mass, and present this as a renewal of faith. In reality, it is another door opened to further distortions of the Sacred Liturgy. When every culture is invited to shape the liturgy according to its own expression, the result is not deeper worship of God but weaker and divided worship. Yet the bishops insist this is the path to unity.

The statement uses lofty words and theological phrases, but in substance it defends novelty instead of genuine renewal. Words like forward looking and liturgical pastoral sound impressive, but hide a bias against tradition. To Catholics who defend Sacred Tradition, this is gaslighting. It portrays the abandonment of the Old Rite as fidelity to Vatican II, when the truth is the opposite.

Calling Traditionis Custodes forward looking is also misleading. The document is restrictive and meant to marginalize the Traditional Latin Mass. John Paul II and Benedict XVI worked for unity by extending generosity and inclusion, they never resorted to suppression. Yet the CBCP praises Traditionis Custodes as progress, while ignoring the real wounds it caused. Pope Francis himself insulted traditional Catholics as mentally imbalanced, and instead of defending the faithful the bishops seem to justify his words.

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The bishops also warn against cosmetic reforms, like adding more rituals or tolerating parallel liturgical worlds. The irony is that the Novus Ordo itself has become the greatest example of cosmetic reform. It introduced endless options and gimmicks that distracted from God and gave rise to Charismatic Masses, Healing Masses, and even Palayok Masses. These abuses weaken the liturgy, yet the bishops act as if the true problem is traditional worship. The Traditional Latin Mass avoids such excesses, but it is the one they seek to suppress.

They also claim that liturgy itself is evangelization when celebrated beautifully, preached faithfully, and lived missionally. This sounds true, but in practice it is empty. What exactly is beauty? Is it guitars, dance, and cultural performances, or is it Gregorian chant, silence, reverence, and obedience to the rubrics? In reality, most Masses in the Philippines are noisy, casual, and irreverent. They resemble Protestant services more than Catholic worship. If this is what the bishops call evangelization, it is no surprise the faith is declining.

The praise of liturgical inculturation only blesses abuses. Under this banner we have witnessed Clown Masses, Politicized Masses, and Charismatic excesses. Instead of correcting these scandals, our prelates call them pastoral creativity. But true Catholic liturgy raises the faithful into the sacred. It does not dilute the sacred into entertainment.

The bishops continue to speak of unity, but the approach of Pope Francis and the CBCP brings division. John Paul II and Benedict XVI fostered unity by respecting both forms. Francis insists on suppression which breeds resentment. Investigations by Diane Montagna have also shown that the survey used to justify Traditionis Custodes was a lie. The document rests on dishonesty, yet the CBCP treats it as if it came directly from the Holy Spirit.

The deeper problem is that the Novus Ordo, as commonly celebrated, does not even follow the actual teaching of Vatican II. Sacrosanctum Concilium called for continuity with Tradition, but what we received was rupture. The Mass was made more Protestant in tone, more horizontal, and centered on the people rather than on God. This is the reality the bishops refuse to confront.

Active participation is another phrase constantly repeated, but poorly understood. Many Catholics interpret it literally, as constant action. They believe participation means clapping, dancing, singing, and speaking aloud at every moment. The true meaning, however, is interior union with the sacrifice of Christ. Silence, reverence, and attention to the Sacred Mysteries are the highest forms of participation. This truth is rarely taught by our own bishops.

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By inviting cultures to offer homage to God, the bishops unintentionally license more radical integrations. If every culture must be given space in the liturgy, then there is no limit. The pride movement can demand its own altar place. Pagan rituals can be welcomed. Indigenous practices, with no relation to the sacrifice of Christ, can be paraded inside the church as if they were sacramentals. This is the danger of inculturation as the bishops present it.

The result is a loss of the Catholic sense of worship. The Mass is no longer seen as God’s worship on His terms, but as a stage for every group to showcase its identity. This is the exact opposite of the teaching of the saints. Worship conforms man to God, and not God to man.

The bishops also repeat that the liturgy itself is evangelization when celebrated beautifully and lived missionally, but still they do not define beauty. Without definition the claim is empty. Beauty is not costumes or cultural dances. In Catholic liturgy, beauty means order, silence, solemnity, and the orientation of everything to the Almighty. The Traditional Latin Mass preserves this, while the Novus Ordo, as practiced in our country, has largely lost it.

The promotion of inculturation therefore does not strengthen faith, but deepens confusion. The bishops think they are making the liturgy accessible, but they only make it less sacred. What the Church in the Philippines needs is not more adaptation to culture, but a liturgy that forms culture in the image of Christ. Only a pure and reverent liturgy can restore faith and heal the crisis of faith.