RVA is ‘Abraham’s Tent,’ Cardinal Advincula Says at RVA@60 Launch Special Mass

Radio Veritas Asia (RVA) is “Abraham’s tent,” welcoming people across Asia and bringing the message of God’s love to those who feel isolated or unheard, Cardinal Jose Advincula, archbishop of Manila, said on October 9.

He delivered the message during a special Mass at the RVA Three Saints Chapel at the station’s headquarters in Quezon City, Metro Manila, marking the launch of RVA@60 as the Asian Catholic platform prepares to celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2027.

The Mass brought together nearly 100 faithful, including bishops, priests, religious and RVA language service coordinators from across Asia. Bishops concelebrating included Bishop Marcelino Antonio “Junie” Maralit Jr. of San Pablo, Bishop Mylo Hubert Claudio Vergara of Pasig, Bishop Roberto Gaa of Novaliches, and Bishop Jose Silva of Sri Lanka.

Cardinal Advincula compared RVA’s digital platforms to Abraham’s tent, a biblical image of welcome and belonging. Drawing on St. Paul’s teaching that people of faith are children of Abraham, he said the Church is called to welcome outsiders and people who might never expect an invitation.

For more than five decades, he said, RVA has carried this blessing across Asia, a continent rich in cultural diversity where Christians remain a minority in many communities. Recalling the vision of Pope St. Paul VI, who inaugurated the station’s ministry in 1969, and the teaching of Pope St. John Paul II on the power of the media, the cardinal emphasized taking the Gospel beyond geographical and political borders.

He also challenged RVA to address the growing emptiness beneath the constant noise of digital communication. Referring to the Gospel account of Jesus healing a mute man and warning about a house left empty, he pointed to online hostility, misinformation and echo chambers as signs of a divided digital world.

“If the church leaves these airwaves empty, the demons of loneliness and despair will gladly move in,” he said, urging RVA to fill digital spaces with the message of Christ and make media an instrument of unity.

The cardinal further called on the station to give a voice to people on the margins, particularly those experiencing loneliness and suffering. Citing St. Teresa of Calcutta’s concern for people who feel unwanted, unloved and uncared for, he said proclaiming the good news in people’s native languages allows the Gospel to reach them personally, even in remote communities.

The Mass included several milestones in RVA’s journey toward its 60th anniversary: the launch of RVA@60, the unveiling of the RVA Three Saints Anthem, and the blessing and installation of statues of St. Paul VI, St. John Paul II and St. Teresa of Calcutta. The cardinal also blessed the chapel’s pews and RVA facilities and dedicated 2027 to Pope St. Paul VI.

The celebration followed an intensive four-day workshop for RVA language service coordinators, held October 5–8 at the Sisters of Mary, Girlstown, in Silang, Cavite, and the station’s annual budget meeting on the morning of October 9.

Concluding his homily, Cardinal Advincula urged RVA’s staff and supporters to sustain the station’s mission through prayer and resources. He called on them to “signal the blessing, fill the empty, voice the voiceless,” so that their words and digital communication would be filled with truth that sets people free.