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In a keynote reflection delivered by Caritas Philippines President, Bishop Gerardo A. Alminaza at the University of Santo Tomas, Bishop Gerry challenged the Church to confront injustices, to refuse indifference, and to truly walk with the poor moving beyond charity toward justice.
To be a Christian is more than to merely claim such with one’s words. It requires action and the lived experience of loving one’s neighbor. To do so is to live out the greatest commandment and to love God in concrete and practical ways.
Taking up Pope Francis’ desire “that all Christians come to appreciate the close connection between Christ’s love and His summons to care for the poor,” Pope Leo XIV issued his first Apostolic Exhortation, Dilexi te, as a call to Christ’s disciples “to recognize him in the poor and the suffering.”
The peculiar mix of communism and capitalism in China may be contributing to a growing interest in Christianity by a people starved of spiritual food, but the outlook for religious freedom remains bleak.
Asia is composed of very different social, political, ethnic and religious realities, and is without doubt the most religiously diverse of the continents. However, the vast majority of its countries have serious issues with religious freedom.
The vast majority of countries listed in the Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) Religious Freedom in the World Report saw their situation worsen over the past two years, and problems are increasing even in the democracies of the developed world.
Pope Francis called for a unique form of extremism: an “extremism of charity” that would silence the “sound of arms.” This suggests that even the fiercest fighter can become the most passionate advocate for peace.
The Church is the global community of followers of Jesus, and since Jesus was perfectly nonviolent, taught, and commanded active nonviolence, the Church is therefore the community of active nonviolence.
Pope Leo XIV is showing us that nonviolence is the key to finding peace. He insists that nonviolence and peace are at the heart of the Gospel. His Holiness is saying that now is the moment to create a culture of nonviolence and peace in the Church and the world.
The double jubilee of Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso is far more than a historical marker; it is a dynamic, grace-filled outpouring that reaffirms the Blessed Mother’s enduring presence through devotion’s spiritual consecration and comfort of God’s grace in Parañaque.
