May ‘Simbang Gabi’ be the face of a welcoming Church, says the archbishop of Manila
The nine days of dawn Masses in preparation for Christmas have begun in Philippine communities around the world. Speaking about the Church, Cardinal Advincula said that, “Everyone has a place here”; she is “not for the perfect but for all seekers.” The prelate also offered a special thought for those returning to the Church after a long time and for those burdened by doubts or wounds.
Manila (AsiaNews) – Among Philippine Catholics, both in the country and among migrant workers in the diasporas, these are the days of Simbang Gabi, the Masses celebrated early in the morning (when the rooster crows, as the name suggests) during the Christmas novena to prepare for the birth of Jesus.
In Manila, solemnly opening these celebrations in the Intramuros Cathedral, Cardinal Archbishop José Advincula urged the country's Catholics to experience this moment, so deeply rooted in popular devotion, as a time to welcome all.
Simbang Gabi is not reserved only for the devout, the cardinal said, but welcomes anyone seeking faith, healing, or a renewed relationship with God. “Lahat kasali dito. Everyone has a place here," Advincula said.
CBCP News reported that during the celebrations, the archbishop offered words of welcome to those attending for the first time, to Catholics returning to the Church, and to those burdened by doubts or wounds, asserting that the Church does not exist for the perfect, but for all those who seek.
He warned against selective acceptance and judgment, which create divisions in families, workplaces, and parishes, fuelling the perception that the Church excludes ordinary or struggling Filipinos.
“Some think the Church is only for the perfect. Others stay away because they feel judged by those who attend Mass. This should disturb us,” he added.
The archbishop of Manila urged the faithful to pay attention to those who are ignored in school, at work, or in parish life and to respond with compassion, listening, and concrete gestures of welcome.
“Let us become a Church that welcomes rather than excludes, that listens rather than judges, that reflects the mercy of Christ,” he said.
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