A Filipino has bishop urged the faithful to “side with the truth and goodness” rather than fall prey to the trap of tribalism.
Reflecting on the 40th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution, Bishop Dennis Villarojo of Malolos in Central Luzon urged the faithful to uphold and carry forward its enduring “call to conversation.”
“Let us be patient with identifying what is true and good,” he said. “Do not be fooled by those who divide us into tribes… those who justify their actions for the sake of one family or group, and [not for the sake of] the whole society.”
The prelate led the Holy Mass on February 25 at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Valenzuela City, home to the image of the Blessed Mother that became the centerpiece of the bloodless revolution in 1986.
Addressing the attendees mainly composed of students from different Catholic schools in the Diocese of Malolos, Bishop Villarojo warned against the proliferation of tribalism in the online sphere through fake news propagated by “trolls.”
“Those with the most trolls get the most followers, and they dominate the internet,” he explained. “They spread lies just to get the sentiment of the public… Goodness is not the priority, but the personal interest of their tribe only.”
“Let us not be biased to just one personality, tribe, or family,” he also pointed out.
Furthermore, Bishop Villarojo called out those who support the culture of death, which makes human life easily disposable.
“We often find people online who support the killing of criminals without due process… for the sake of peace and the safety of the public,” he said. “This principle is patently wrong.”
The People Power Revolution was a series of popular demonstrations in the Philippines that took place on the Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) in Manila. It climaxed on February 25, 1986 with the end of the 21-year dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. and the restoration of Philippine democracy.
The national pilgrim image of Our Lady of Fatima, which was brought to EDSA during the height of the demonstrations, became the symbol of peace and prayer for the activists. It was blessed by Saint Pope Paul VI and granted the canonical coronation by Pope Francis in 2024.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
Latest News
