The Easter Traditions of Filipino Catholics

The various Easter traditions-Salubong, Via Lucis and the processions-vary across regions and communities, but collectively, they reflect the deeply rooted religious and cultural significance of Easter in the Philippines.

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The Processions of Holy Week

In many parishes, three processions are held during Holy Week: the procession of the Passion usually held on Holy Wednesday, the Santo Entierro on Good Friday, and the Salubong on Easter Sunday. In some parishes, the first two processions are combined and held on Good Friday.

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Through the Cross to the Light

Every year, Catholics commemorate and make present the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ. It is prepared for 40 days during the season of Lent and goes on until Holy Thursday. In Filipino Catholicism, this is marked by religious traditions where faith and culture intertwine.

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The Demise of A Hero

The life of Fr. Stan is a testimony to the defense of the human rights of underprivileged peasants in India. His sentence and subsequent death in prison raised an outcry all over the world, but his inspiring witness to righteousness keeps the flame of justice alive

“India’s Future is Extremely Bleak”

Christians and other minorities in the “world’s largest democracy” are at the mercy of an ideology that is “inspired by Nazism, fascism, and apartheid,” says Cedric Prakash, Jesuit priest, one of the country’s most uncomfortable activists.

Christian in India: A Persecuted Minority

India can already rely on a well-educated, English-speaking middle class, which has helped the country develop sectors such as pharmaceuticals and information technology. To consolidate its rise, it will need to sustain the growth of the manufacturing sector and become an export powerhouse. Will it be able to do so?

Kaplag and Its Historical Significance

The providential discovery (kaplag) of the sacred image of the Santo Niño in 1565 started off the systematic evangelization of the Philippines. The missionary endeavors of the pioneering congregations contributed to the Philippine identity as a predominantly Christian nation.

Santo Niño Devotion: the origin

The image of Santo Niño is a symbol of Filipino devotion. This devotion is rooted in pious traditions and the history of Catholicism in the Philippines.

The Asian Faces of Mary

Non-Christians venerate Mary in Asia. Mary stands as an interreligious bridge that belongs to everyone. She is the most universal religious figure on the continent.

Mary and Female Deities of East Asia

Catholics venerated female deities associated with Buddhism and with Chinese popular religion in different contexts as one way to express their Marian devotions.

EDITORIAL

The Pastoral Blessings

The declaration Fiducia Supplicans does not change the Church’s doctrine but marks a shift of pastoral outlook by responding to the spiritual needs of many couples who do not live in a sacred marriage...

The Pastoral Blessings

The declaration Fiducia Supplicans does not change the Church’s doctrine but marks a shift of pastoral outlook by responding to the spiritual needs of many couples who do not live in a sacred marriage.

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Missionaries Who Sacrificed Their Lives

The missionaries did not abandon the people under their care; rather, they stayed on risking their lives because of Jesus Christ, the love of the mission, and the love of the people.

Frontiers

Silence Encourages the Tormentor, Never the Tormented

The vast majority of Catholics do not speak up and act out on behalf of countless suffering brothers and sisters. To go against this “culture of indifference,” believers are called upon to protect and enhance the life and dignity of all human beings.

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Frontline

Preserving Nature in a Filipino Hermitage

Four religious people have chosen to live in a hermitage community in southeastern Philippines for silence and solitude and to spark interest among people in preserving nature and making it even more productive.

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Journey Moments

What’s Life All About?

We can truly live a meaningful life under the guidance of the Master, Jesus Christ. The three words that will help us achieve this objective are service, sacrifice, and sharing.

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Insight

Does Religion Have To Do With Tensions in the Middle East?

We have seen a dangerous escalation in the Middle East because of the war in Gaza. Iran has attacked targets in Iraq and Pakistan. The Houthis are targeting ships in the Red Sea. Hezbollah and Israel are exchanging fire across the Lebanese border. Does religion have anything to do with it?

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In Focus

Life on Our Planet is Under Siege

A group of scientists recently published a report which states that the Earth’s ‘vital signs’ are the worst in human history. Instead of pursuing war and slaughtering thousands of people around the world, we should be focusing on the distressing signs of our planet.

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A Taste of Tradition

The Birth of Christian Apology

On the whole, the society of the Roman Empire had a poor concept of Christianity. To fight the prejudices and show the real face of the new religion, the Christian philosopher Saint Justin martyr invented the Apology.

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Our World

Humanity is on the Move

In light of the overwhelming surge of migrants, numerous countries are implementing laws to tighten immigration controls. Pope Francis, in his encyclical Fratelli Tutti, pleads on their behalf, calling for a compassionate and benevolent approach towards migrants.

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Follow Me

Saint Joseph: The Dream of Vocation

St. Joseph’s strong witness can guide us in our Christian life. He suggests three keywords for our vocational journey: dream, service, and fidelity.

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Follow Me

From Africa to the Philippines

Fr. Noel Sakie, a Comboni missionary priest from Togo, shares his vocation story. He recalls how being an altar server and participating in a Charismatic group were decisive in discovering his vocation to missionary life.

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Mission is Fun

Faith or Jail

Not long ago, relations between Church and State in Mexico were tense. One of the laws was the absolute prohibition on clergy to wear ecclesiastical clothes and to perform religious functions outside the church. On Ash Wednesday, I was invited by the parish priest of a poor and densely populated district of the capital to administer ashes in one of the various chapels of the parish.

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Editorial

Missionaries Who Sacrificed Their Lives

The missionaries did not abandon the people under their care; rather, they stayed on risking their lives because of Jesus Christ, the love of the mission, and the love of the people.

WM Special

Christian in India: A Persecuted Minority

India can already rely on a well-educated, English-speaking middle class, which has helped the country develop sectors such as pharmaceuticals and information technology. To consolidate its rise, it will need to sustain the growth of the manufacturing sector and become an export powerhouse. Will it be able to do so?

WM Special

“India’s Future is Extremely Bleak”

Christians and other minorities in the “world’s largest democracy” are at the mercy of an ideology that is “inspired by Nazism, fascism, and apartheid,” says Cedric Prakash, Jesuit priest, one of the country’s most uncomfortable activists.

WM Special

The Demise of A Hero

The life of Fr. Stan is a testimony to the defense of the human rights of underprivileged peasants in India. His sentence and subsequent death in prison raised an outcry all over the world, but his inspiring witness to righteousness keeps the flame of justice alive

Frontiers

How Fossil Fuel Elites Promote Global Warming

There is a very troubling realization that the Earth’s climate is in the control of very few moguls and politicians who control the fossil fuel industry. They were able to influence a change in the words of the final statement of the COP28.

Journey Moments

The Journey From the Head to the Heart

The journey from the head to the heart is only 8 inches long, yet many people do not quite make it in their lifetime. This journey happens when we take the road of humility and value kindness, respect, and love.

Our World

Creation Groans with Pain

Voices are growing louder daily that our planet is grappling with an environmental crisis. Our environmental concern should not limit itself merely to pressure and protest but should lead to a change of attitudes that leads to effective action.

Insight

Liturgy and Care for the Common Home

We must introduce the natural world into our liturgies. Many elements of the natural world could be introduced into the Preface of the Sunday Eucharist. Other liturgies could follow suit.

In Focus

Serving the Bedouin Communities

The Comboni Missionary Sisters are in Israel working with the Bedouin communities of Jahalin in the Judean Desert. Listening to their needs has led to ideas and the formation of education programs, which are put into practice through a network of volunteers and collaborators.

A Taste of Tradition

The Seven Iconic Letters

Saint Ignatius of Antioch was arrested and brought to Rome in chains to be thrown to the lions. During his journey as a prisoner, he wrote seven letters to the churches he passed through. They are a document of extraordinary beauty and relevance.

Follow Me

Mission is Sharing Joy

At last year’s World Youth Day in August, Pope Francis asked young people to bring the joy of Jesus’ love to others because the joy for Jesus’ “crazy” and unconditional love urges me to bring it to others.

Follow Me

A Journey from Bank Clerk to Missionary

A bank professional in his young years, Raul felt the call of God to be a missionary. Despite his aging and frail parents, he summoned the courage to leave behind his profession and join the seminary. As a missionary, Fr. Raul has served in Africa and the Philippines.

Mission is Fun

Language Challenges

Fr. Jorge arrived at Waterval Mission, Mpumalanga, in South Africa at a mature age. In his first years on the mission, he made a great effort to learn the Northern Sotho language of Sepedi, and he reached a certain level of proficiency, which allowed him to celebrate Mass and even preach in Sepedi. Quite often, when the faithful started to interact in fast conversations, he would easily get lost.

Asia

Two Filipinos Among the Martyrs of 2023

The annual report from the Pontifical Mission Societies’ Fides News agency includes two Filipino pastoral workers killed in the massacre at the Marawi State University on December 3, 2023. A total of 20 missionaries were killed around the world in 2023.

Vietnam

First Resident Papal Representative

Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Marek Zalewski (in photo) as the first resident pontifical representative, nearly half a century after Vietnam severed ties with the Vatican following the communist takeover of the south of the country in 1975.

Pope

2024 Year of Prayer

The Holy Father wants a year in preparation for the 2025 Jubilee that will help “stimulate prayer with simplicity and in accordance with Christ’s heart.” Pope Francis has announced that the year 2024, in preparation for the Jubilee 2025, will be dedicated to prayer.

Asia

Increase in Human Rights Violations

Human Rights Watch, a global rights group, has slammed governments in Asia for an increase in repression and human rights violations in its World Report 2024. The report blasted Asian governments for various forms of human rights abuses.

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Asia

Two Out of Every Five Christians are Persecuted

Two out of every five Christians suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination on religious grounds in Asia, the largest region of the world affected by this issue, followed by Africa (one in five) and Latin America (one in 16). On a global scale, more than 365 million Christians are persecuted (one in seven), the highest figure in the last 31 years.

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Religious Women

Sister is One of the Most Influential Women

The American magazine Forbes has published its popular annual list, highlighting influential women in fields such as science, fashion, economics, and human rights. The 2024 edition includes Sr. Nathalie Becquart (in photo), X.M.C.J., a Catholic sister who serves as undersecretary of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops.

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Philippines

Nuncio Echoes Pope’s Call for ‘Year of Prayer’

Archbishop Charles Brown (in photo), the papal nuncio to the Philippines, has echoed Pope Francis’ call for a “Year of Prayer” to help Catholics prepare for the 2025 Jubilee. Addressing the Philippine bishops at their plenary assembly last January, he encouraged them “to find ways” in their own dioceses to implement the special year.

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Pope

2024 Year of Prayer

The Holy Father wants a year in preparation for the 2025 Jubilee that will help “stimulate prayer with simplicity and in accordance with Christ’s heart.” Pope Francis has announced that the year 2024, in preparation for the Jubilee 2025, will be dedicated to prayer.

Gaza

Church Leaders Regret ‘Indiscriminate’ Force Against Civilians

Archbishop of Dublin, Ireland, Dermot Farrell (in photo) has condemned the “indiscriminate use of force against civilians,” saying that the binding moral and international legal standards of the Geneva Conventions are clearly being violated. 

Vietnam

First Resident Papal Representative

Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Marek Zalewski (in photo) as the first resident pontifical representative, nearly half a century after Vietnam severed ties with the Vatican following the communist takeover of the south of the country in 1975.

Asia

Two Filipinos Among the Martyrs of 2023

The annual report from the Pontifical Mission Societies’ Fides News agency includes two Filipino pastoral workers killed in the massacre at the Marawi State University on December 3, 2023. A total of 20 missionaries were killed around the world in 2023.

Vatican

Cardinals Discuss Role of Women

Meeting in the Vatican, Pope Francis’ Council of Cardinals agreed on the need to listen to the “the feminine aspect” of the Church, especially at the local level, “so that processes of reflection and decision making can benefit from the irreplaceable contribution of women.”

Philippines

Christian Living in Fear in Mindanao

The bomb explosion at the Mindanao State University in Marawi City during the celebration of the Eucharist on the first Sunday of Advent which killed four people and injured 50 has sent fear through the local Christian community.

Syria

Future of Christianity at Sake

Christian families are leaving Syria en masse because of growing societal problems, such as extreme poverty and an education system in crisis, Archbishop Jacques Mourad (in photo) of Homs told Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

Asia

Church Shows Growth

The Catholic Church has recorded steady growth in Africa, Asia, and the Americas with an increase in the number of baptized Catholics and clergy, according to Vatican’s annual statistics.

Hongkong

A Bridge Church for China

Hong Kong’s bishop, Cardinal Stephan Chow Sau-yan, (in photo) has reiterated his commitment to making his diocese a ‘bridge church’ that connects the church in China and the world.

Climate Change

Global Faith Leaders Call for Urgent Action

Representatives of the world’s religions have signed an appeal calling for political leaders at next month’s COP28 climate summit to take meaningful action to respond to the urgent crisis of climate change.

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