Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma encourages the Catholic faifthful during a press briefing on April 15 at the Archbishop’s Palace to continue Lenten traditions like the Visita Iglesia, Siete Palabras and the Way of the Cross. | Delta Dyrecka Letigio
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma is encouraging the faithful to keep the next days solemn through prayer and sacrifice as they celebrate the Holy Week.
The prelate said in a press conference on Holy Monday, April 15, the Holy Week is the season for Christians to remember the love of God through the sacrifices of Jesus Christ.
He encouraged the Catholics to continue the traditions of Visita Iglesia, Siete Palabras (Seven Last Words), and the Way of the Cross, which had long been practiced by Filipino families.
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The prelate said that aside from sacrificing in remembrance of the Passion of Christ, it would also be a time to bring the family together and pass on these Catholic traditions to the youth.
“This is what is unique among Filipinos. We always bring our families to participate in the Holy Week. This is a way for us to pass on the traditions,” said Palma.
Palma said that on Easter Sunday, the family should find the time to celebrate the occasion by bonding with each other.
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“This is the climax of the Lenten season and it would be nice to hear that we are doing this with or families so the youth can participate,” said the prelate.
He said the youth should be exposed to these traditions because they would be the ones who would practice the faith in the future.
The archbishop was also grateful to the local government units (LGUs) which plan to close down some of their tourist activities to respect the solemnity of the Holy Week.
Read more: Badian canyoneering, Kawasan falls operations closed on Good Friday
The municipality of Badian recently announced that all adventure activities such as canyoneering would be closed for Good Friday.
Palma said that the Holy Week should be a time for the faithful to sacrifice and participate in religious activies and remember the sacrifices of Jesus./dbs