Should we come to the defence of God? Dealing with an alleged case of blasphemy in predominantly Catholic Philippines

ABSTRACT

On 10 July 2023, Amadeus Fernando Pagente, also known as Pura Luka Vega, posted a video of his drag performance on X, formerly known as Twitter. In the controversial clip, he is seen dancing with revellers to a remix of the ‘Our Father’, a prayer attributed to Christ himself, while wearing a gold and maroon outfit with metallic accessories evocative of the vestments of the Black Nazarene, a popular religious icon among Catholics in the Philippines. The post quickly became viral, drew public criticism, and eventually led to Pagente’s arrest on 4 October 2023. Through a survey and analysis of related doctrines and practices of the Catholic Church, from Scriptures to current times, and their application to the case in question, this paper re-examines the ethical issue of blasphemy and the question of defending God, proposing Christ’s patience as an alternative model of response towards the pursuit of peace in an increasingly plural and secular world.

KEYWORDS:

• Religious tolerance
• religious violence
• blasphemy
• religions and peace

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

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Leo-Martin Angelo R. Ocampo

Leo-Martin Angelo R. Ocampo is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Religion, and Research Associate at the Center for Theology, Religious Studies and Ethics at the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomás where he is finishing his doctoral studies, major in Theology. Aside from articles in local and international journals, he has published more than 10 titles, including Ang Galak ng Ebanghelyo, a single volume containing all the major works of Pope Francis in Filipino translation from Lumen Fidei to Desiderio Desideravi published with permission from the Vatican. He is also the Editor in Chief of Loyola Papers, a contributing editor of Religion and Social Communication, the Associate Secretary of Catholic Teachers Guild of the Philippines and hosts the programme ‘Tinta ng Santo Papa’ in Radio Maria Philippines every first and third Wednesday on the writings of Pope Francis. He is a professed lay Dominican of Sanctus Dominicus Lay Dominican Fraternity.