MANILA, Philippines - Don’t be scared of the dead.
This was the advice of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) spokesman Monsignor Pedro Quitorio III who called on the faithful to observe Halloween in the context of the Catholic faith in the Philippine setting.
Quitorio reminded the faithful not to believe in horror stories in the observance of Halloween, a holiday that originated in Western countries.
Quitorio said the faithful should not believe these scary tales that only thrive during Halloween.
He said the public should remain respectful of the dead, particularly their departed relatives and friends.
“They should not be scared of the dead. They are our loved ones and they are in heaven. I think it would be much better if we emphasize on the love for the dead, which is both cultural and doctrinal for Filipinos,” Quitorio said.
Quitorio dismissed stories of ghosts being seen as evil spirits. “Our loved ones will not do anything to scare us,” he said.
Quitorio also advised parents against scaring their children with ghost stories.
He said instilling in the minds of children that they should be afraid of the dead is not good Christian practice.
The scare tactics used by parents need to be improved, he said.
“They are training their children in the context of fear and deception. In disciplining them, the parents should explain to their children why they are being told not to do some thing,” Quitorio said.
On the part of the Catholic Church, Quitorio said priests have not been remiss of their obligation in teaching the faithful on how the dead should be regarded.
“This is being taught in the catechetical work of the parish. There is a catechetical module that tells about last things. It talks about dying, life after death, salvation and eternal life and these are being emphasized by the priests,” Quitorio said.
He added that these subjects are discussed during the month of November.
Also, while there is nothing wrong with continuing with the tradition of lighting candles outside their homes or near the tomb in cemeteries during All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, Quitorio said offering prayers or masses for the dead is still the best.
“Lighting candles is a symbolism that you are praying... Hearing Mass is still the best. If you just light a candle, but did not go to Mass, it has no effect. The dead would not get any benefit because the mass is salvific. So if the (soul of the) dead is in purgatory, we believe that it (offering masses/prayer) would be able to help his suffering,” Quitorio said.