A Filipino prelate reminded elected officials that every law and resolution they pass is “a prayer before God.”
“May you always remember that you are not only representatives of the Filipino people in the halls of government. More loftily than this, you are also representatives of the Filipino people before God,” said Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula.
The cardinal presided over the Thanksgiving Mass for the Opening of the 20th Congress of the Philippines at the Manila Cathedral on July 27.
In the presence of members of the legislative branch, led by House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Cardinal Advincula urged them to remain closely united with God and in solidarity with His people.
“We need lawmakers who always turn to God and to the people,” he said. “My dear friends in Congress, we pray that your legislative work may be an expression of your intercession on behalf of God’s people before God.”
The cardinal further invited members of Congress to become “a sign and reflection of God’s presence to His people.”
“May the laws you pass reflect God’s guidance upon our nation. May the policies you craft reveal God’s protection for the oppressed. May the budget you design signify God’s providence for the poor,” he said.
According to the Philippine Constitution, the Congress of the Philippines convenes once every year on the fourth Monday of July for its regular session.
The President of the Philippines also delivers the State of the Nation Address (SONA) on the same day. This year marked the third SONA of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
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.
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