Manila (AsiaNews) - Pope Francis' Message for this Lent "is an alarm clock that plays on the conscience of all Filipinos. Indifference is now a national evil here too. It is true that we are the only Catholic country in Asia (along with East Timor), but indifference towards others and selfishness are gaining ground. We have to risk our life for the welfare of all," said Mgr Socrates Villegas, archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan and president of the Filipino bishops' conference.
"What the pope highlighted was the great problem of our times," the archbishop said. "Indifference towards God and the evils of society are a scourge that we - as a Church and as faithful - must try to fight by any means. Lent, which includes penance and reflection on the mystery of the Cross, is a suitable period for this. By looking at Christ we can overcome the lure of selfishness, which is the fruit of affluence."
From this perspective, "the great Mass Pope Francis celebrated in Manila during his apostolic journey to the Philippines was a great ray of sunshine for all of us," the prelate said. "Like a ray, it irradiated out from its point of origin, namely the Eucharistic celebration, with its light spanning outward, further afield. What gives us a lot of hope is that, among the millions of faithful who came to hear him, 50 per cent were under 20."
"This is a source of unprecedented hope," Mgr Villegas said. "The evils of our society are sometimes not fought because the actors that keep them alive and incite them are now adults and older and somehow do not leave room for the power of good. Instead, young people can and must change things for the better. Our kids have seen and heard the pope's words, and cherish them."