How have Filipinos expressed grief alongside the technological means available to them? How does this development align with current Catholic teaching? These were among the questions answered by Asst. Prof. Leo-Martin Angelo R. Ocampo, MA in his recent study entitled “Digitalizing grief: A Filipino Catholic perspective,” published in the journal Pastoral Psychology.
Studying the Filipino context, which is steeped in religiosity, ritual, and solidarity, Ocampo stated that locally, “grieving a loved one is usually a very elaborate affair, involving not just the immediate family but the wider community.” Religious practices, according to Ocampo, play “an essential role” in providing accompaniment and comfort to the bereaved. The emphasis on the “hope in the life to come” is also underscored within the Filipino faith context.
With the advent of technology, Ocampo delved into the remote means of expressing grief as an alternative to in-person and intimate gatherings—yet these may not align with official Church teachings, which “appears to be ambivalent if not outright negative about online religious practices, presenting a potential disconnection with this ongoing development.” The new study provides a reflection alongside data on how religious practices are entering the digital space.
Ocampo is an academic staff of the Institute of Religion and also is an academic researcher of the Research Center for Theology, Religious Studies, and Ethics.
The research article may be accessed on Springer Nature’s website: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11089-025-01236-0
