I-Witness docu: Belgian choirboys who rock are the new face of Catholicism

While religion continues to influence Philippine culture and politics, elsewhere in the world the Catholic church has been struggling to retain its flock. In 2004, Howie Severino and his I-Witness team -- executive producer Ella Evangelista-Martelino and cameraman Egay Navarro -- explored one society where organized religion was already severely downsized. They followed the Belgian Boys Choir from their successful tour of the Philippines back to their medieval hometown of Aalst in Belgium, and discovered that they weren't the kind of Catholics devout Filipinos may expect. These choirboys may love to sing in church, but they are also fond of rock music, and aren't even remotely interested in becoming priests. For many Belgians, interest in religion has been waning for years as citizens become more liberal in their values. Yet Belgium also boasts low rates of corruption and a government able to provide public services like health care and education to its citizens. In the Philippines, a person's piousness is still often considered a measure of his or her moral character. Yet the example of Belgium raises the question: Is it also possible to be moral in a society where organized religion is disintegrating? "Choirboy: Kakaibang Katoliko" originally aired in late 2004. It was also screened at the World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany in 2005 and was a finalist for the Iñigo Award, an international competition for films that explore how Catholicism is faring in the modern world. Watch the full episode below: Part 1:
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