Santacruzan not a fashion show - CBCP

MANILA, Philippines - The traditional Santacruzan is a colorful feast, to be sure, but should not be striped of its religious significance, says the Catholic Church.

Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez reminded the faithful that the Santacruzan, also known as the Flores de Mayo, celebrates the significance of the cross in the Catholic faith and is a month for offering flowers to the Virgin.

Iñiguez, chair of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) public affairs committee, said that over the years, the occasion had been reduced to mere pageantry. The Santacruzan commemorates the finding of the cross in the Holy Land by Queen Helena and her son Constantine.

Fr. Genaro Diwa of the Ministry for Liturgical Affairs of the Archdiocese of Manila said if the feast would be celebrated with pageantry, its Catholic roots should be respected. “They should be respectful also of the Church’s symbolisms such as the cross. If they do that it should be clear that it’s not the Church’s custom. If they would like pageantry to be done, then it should be clear that the Church doesn’t promote that,” he said.                                                                               

Diwa said many Filipinos have the wrong perception of the Catholic feast and should be educated through catechism. “It’s an expression of the faith of the people and the Church has to purify it and catechize the people,” he added.