By Raymond Pasco
What is brotherhood? Brotherhood is the relationship between brothers or a feeling of kinship and closeness. It may even be an association or community of people with a common interest, religion, or trade. Brothers may be brothers biologically even without brotherhood (separated) and brotherhood may also be brotherhood without being brothers biologically – biological relationship is not an eidos of brotherhood. Brotherhood is a relationship characterized by closeness, understanding, and sympathy between biological brothers or even between people not related to each other biologically. Closeness – even if related biologically as long as there is no connection, not in friendship and companionship with one another, there’s no brotherhood. Understanding – brotherhood entails connection, correspondence or similarity in some, if not all, ideals, simply put, common interest. There can be no brotherhood if there is no agreement with some ideals – this entails division in ends or paths and division of the individuals as well. Sympathy – brotherhood means being able to understand what the other feels. Without compassion or being for the other, brotherhood is not achieved – one becomes simply just there, without brotherhood relationship with the other.
These principles are applicable to the seminary realizing the fact that brotherhood is expected as a community. However, there are instances in the community that are contradictory to what brotherhood is. When there is over familiarity bullying happens – isolation/disconnection. When it comes to work, the Culture of “just leave it to the one in charge” arises – no companionship/no common interest. With these examples we see the reality that the community is unbecoming. The brotherhood is expected of the community, but in some instances the community loses its “sense of brotherhood.”
Philo Notes 