CBCP to Pinoys: Embrace your cross

MANILA, Philippines - Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) spokesman Monsignor Pedro Quitorio III said yesterday kissing the feet of Jesus Christ on Good Friday should be a reminder for people to embrace the crosses in their lives, instead of just asking God to bail them out of their problems or sufferings.

“When a person kisses Christ who carries His cross, it also means that he or she is also kissing his or her personal cross. The irony is that many people thought, in their superstitious belief, that when they kiss the cross they want Christ to ease their burdens. People should embrace the crosses in their lives,” Quitorio said.

He added that people are not expected to die like Christ on the cross to show their love for God because “what He has done for us is enough.”

Meanwhile, Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales and the office of the Presidential Adviser on Climate Change (PACC) asked the public to donate the money they would save during their three-day fasting this Holy Week to the Pondo ng Pinoy’s (PNP) social programs for the poor.

CBCP president and Jaro, Iloilo Archbishop Angel Lagdameo yesterday also asked casino and nightclub owners to shut down this Holy Week as he encouraged Filipino Catholics to spend more time in churches rather than in entertainment houses.

In an interview over Radio Veritas, Lagdameo said these establishments “should respect the Holy Week and remember the sacrifices the Lord made for man.”

Meanwhile, former CBCP president Davao Archbishop Fernando Capalla reminded the public that Lent and Holy Week are an “opportune time to deepen one’s relationship with God,” and should not be turned into a holiday.

He is against the Filipino practice of indulging in leisure activities during the Holy Week.