Marcos urges kindness, selflessness during Holy Week

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged the Catholic faithful on Palm Sunday to use Holy Week as a time for reflection, and to spread compassion and generosity.

“In this solemn occasion, let us not only seek to unravel the mysteries of our faith, but also to illuminate the path for others through acts of kindness and selflessness,” Marcos said in his Holy Week message. 

“May our inward reflections manifest in our outward actions as we strive to give hope in a world that is threatened by darkness. Let us be the light that shines through the shadows, the love that triumphs over despair, and the hope that radiates upon all humankind,” he added. 

The president expressed hope that the Catholic faithful will be remembered not for what they have reached, but “for the light we have kindled in the hearts of our fellows.”

Palm Sunday ushers in Holy Week, the most sacred week of the Christian year. In the Philippines, this occasion is marked by the blessing of woven palm fronds.

“I pray that we may humbly accept our authentic selves as imperfect beings for it is by becoming truly human that we can experience the divine,” Marcos said. — Gaea Katreena Cabico