Bishop urges faithful to be more prayerful

Cebu Ricardo Cardinal Vidal talks to reporters after his Mass at the Metropolitan Cebu Cathedral and expresses his trust that President Rodrigo Duterte will solve the Davao bombing (CDN PHOTO/ TONEE DESPOJO).

CEBU Archdiocese Auxiliary Bishop Oscar Jaime Florencio urged the faithful to be more prayerful as he condemned the loss of innocent lives in the Davao bombing.

“Dili na maayo kanang mag-pinatyanay,” he said.

“It’s not good because it destroys lives, and we don’t have the right to destroy the lives of others especially those who are innocent. We have to resort to rational moves, something that we think that is for the good of others, for the good of the community, for the good of the people,” Florencio said.

September 8 is celebrated by the Catholic faithful as the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Bishop Florencio urged the faithful to seek her intercession.

“Let us stop all these, because this brutality is nonsense and does not tell about the image of who we are,” he said. “We are God’s children; therefore, because we are His children, we belong to one family, we belong to one Father. So therefore, let’s love one another, let’s forgive one another. Let’s be more forgiving and more compassionate.”

The auxiliary bishop officiated the Mass that culminated in the annual procession, “Walk with Mary”, at the Plaza Independencia, with this year’s theme of “Mary, Mother of Evangelization. Walk with us as we deepen our faith in this Year of Mercy”.

The procession started at the break of dawn at the Fuente Osmeña Circle and was attended by thousands of devotees along with 15 Virgin Mary carrozas.

Reflecting on this year’s “Walk with Mary” theme, Bishop Florencio said that the Blessed Mother is always walking with us and has never deserted us.

“That is why the wisdom tells us today that we have to trust the plan of God, the guidance of God, which is given to us and enlightened by the Holy Spirit,” he said.

“We trust, we believe, musalig ta sa Ginoo (trust in God) because it is his plan nga mulahutay gayod. (that will prevail). It is his plans that will last, in fact, that will never end, the desire, the plan of God.”

Bishop Florencio ended his sermon by reminding everyone that as Catholics, we are the face of the mercy of the Father.

“That is why when we see each other as the sign of the mercy of the Father, of God, we cannot but be merciful,” he said. “We cannot but extend that mercy.”

Meanwhile Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal said he trusts President Rodrigo Duterte to solve the bombing in Davao City.

“He is in less than 100 days of this government. Hopefully, he will do something. He is most powerful,” Vidal said.

He also called on the public to pray and take care of themselves.

“Don’t expose yourself unnecessarily in public,” he said.