According to Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula, Easter “is a call to resistance – to push back against the forces that ruthlessly seek to bury our joy and our future.”
Amid the ongoing wars in the world, Manila’s Jose Cardinal Advincula
told the Catholic faithful on Sunday, April 5, that Easter sends the
message to push back against global indifference and the normalization
of genocide.
Advincula, in his Easter message, reiterated the
sentiment of the late Pope Francis and connected it with current events,
saying that Easter is being celebrated during a time of war – a “
’piecemeal’ Third World War.”
He also echoed the appeal of Pope
Leo XIV to put an end to the ongoing war that has brought nothing but
suffering and destruction.
“This international conflict has
brought immense suffering to all of us – from inflation and economic
hardship to severe mental and emotional anguish, not to mention the
tragic loss of countless lives,” Advincula said.
But while the world suffers from the effects of war, he said the Catholic faithful should not lose hope, for the Lord is risen.
“While
drones and missiles continue to shake the ground of their targets,
there is another earth-shaking event that has occurred today – the
Resurrection of Jesus from the dead. This historical event, which has
opened our earthly life to the eternal, is the Good News that our world
so desperately needs,” he said.
He added that during Easter, the
Catholic Church celebrates the resurrection of the Savior, Jesus Christ,
which signifies the triumph of light over darkness, the victory of God
over death and the gift of new life from the tomb.
“The
Resurrection of Jesus is the most subversive and revolutionary message
of Christianity. It is a call to resistance – to push back against the
forces that ruthlessly seek to bury our joy and our future,” Advincula
said.
“Easter is a nonviolent battle against hatred and hostility.
Easter is a summons to all peoples to reject the ‘globalization of
indifference’ and the normalization of genocide,” he added.
At this time, Easter calls on the people to remain awake and vigilant.
He
asked his fellow bishops to continue calling for accountability,
relentlessly pursue justice in public governance and for more urgent
action to alleviate the agony of our people.
“Let us not waste the
sacrifice and offering of Jesus on the cross. Let us not fail to
recognize the liberating presence of the Risen Christ in our midst. May
our celebration of this Easter season be an opportune time for all of us
to roll away the stones that have long oppressed us and to welcome the
new day of hope that the Lord has created for us,” he added.
