Advincula: There is still hope for Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula said there is still hope for the Philippines despite the crisis, calamities and corruption that continue to test the country.

“Does the Philippines still have hope? The answer of the Jubilee Year to all of us is clearly yes, there is hope. Because hope does not come from the promise of man or ideology. Hope only comes from the promise of God,” Advincula said in his homily at the closing of the Jubilee Year of Hope of the Archdiocese of Manila on Dec. 26 at the Manila Cathedral.

Advincula said the hope brought by Jesus, “who was born for humanity, is true, steadfast and never fails.”

He described 2025 as a time of great trials for Filipinos, noting that the country faced a series of earthquakes and typhoons, as well as scandals related to widespread corruption.

“It is not easy to ignite hope, especially amidst news of huge amounts of money being stolen and ghost projects,” Advincula added.

He expressed hope that the Jubilee Year has produced deeper reflection and a renewed vigor of faith.

Advincula challenged believers to examine themselves to see if they have deepened their belief that Jesus alone is the true support and not the deceptive promises of man.

“We are not just pilgrims of hope. We must become hopeful. Otherwise, this person will only end up in a series of actions that do not change the heart,” he said.

The archbishop also urged people to appreciate and enrich the blessings received during the Jubilee Year and to share them with others.

“Where there is poverty and hardship, hope will be born. There the light will shine. Let us not waste the grace of the Jubilee, let us live differently and be witnesses of hope,” Advincula said

Although the Archdiocese of Manila has formally closed the Jubilee Year of Hope, the archbishop invited the faithful to continue their journey of faith in unity, as the Church prepares for the Jubilee of Redemption in 2033, the 2000th anniversary of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Before the closing mass, the archdiocese held the Camino ng Pag-asa, where the faithful marched from Villa Immaculada in Intramuros to the Manila Cathedral.