Poignant Photo of Nuns Passing By Sleeping Street Children Goes Viral

We often talk about ironies like they are jokes, such as when you’re itching for a smoke but you couldn’t find a smoking area or when you badly need a spoon but all you can find are forks and knives. Most of the time, they’re funny and a tad bit annoying. But sometimes, we see evidence of daily ironies that strike us right in the middle of our chests, bringing us a terrible ache that doesn’t ebb, even long after we look away.

We often hear priests and nuns preach that we must help those who are in need. They teach us to be kind to the poor, to the hungry, to the sick, to those who are on the fringes of society. Yet, there are times when we ask ourselves, “Do they practice what they preach?”

Definitely, there are religious groups that spend their time, effort, and resources to serve those who need help, and we do appreciate that. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Sadly and ironically, though, there are those who are keen on preaching but needs a bit of a nudge when it comes to the “taking action” department.

Take at look at this poignant photo that shows a group of nuns passing by a group of sleeping street children:

It is unfair to judge the nuns based on this sole photo because we are sure that they have helped a lot of people at some point in their lives. However, the striking contrast caught the attention of several netizens, according to Definitely Filipino.

One netizen commented:

“There goes those people who are against family planning and contraceptives. Mind if I make a suggestion? Donate the money that you ask from church people and give it to them.”

Another wrote:

“Let’s play the blame game.

– It’s the nuns’ fault. They’re nuns and they did not even glance at the kids!
– It’s the government’s fault! They do not pay attention to problems like this!
– It’s the parents’ fault! They continued to bear children despite the fact that they could not feed them!

So with all the blames, did we manage to help these people? Yes? No! So, instead of blaming why not start helping in your own little ways. Arguing about who needs to be blamed won’t help. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, yes. But do we need to bash each other just to prove a point, just to prove that we are correct?

There’s already too much hate in this world. Let’s not add to it.”

Over the years, overpopulation has become one of the Philippines problems.

There are people who believe that the nuns were judged unfairly, and they wrote:

“This is just a photo. Even Jesus Christ received the same treatment, He was called an enemy of the Church and was crucified. Why is it too easy for us to judge even if we are not aware of what really happened? Have you people done anything to help these kids aside from lambasting the priests and nuns of the Catholic Church? Peace to all.”

And, there are people who believe that the religious people should change their perspective:

“The Church should not be against family planning and contraceptives because this is what happens – the number of street children increase and they cannot do anything about it except to pray. Bread just doesn’t fall down from heaven, there must also be action. These kids beg for alms at such tender age. Hopefully, the Church would stop opposing the projects of the government that aim to solve this problem.”

The photo was taken in Manila, Philippines, where overpopulation has become a growing concern. Interestingly, the Catholic Church opposes the government’s move to implement family planning and contraception.

Now, tell us what you think.