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Catholic faithful lit candles at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral of Cubao in Quezon City during the Easter Vigil on April 4, 2026, as part of the Paschal Triduum presided by the Diocese of Cubao Bishop Elias Ayuban Jr.
The STAR / Miguel de Guzman
MANILA, Philippines — Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula has called on the faithful to transform the resurrection of Christ into a “resistance,” urging them to "push back" against the forces that seek to bury “our joy and our future.”
In his Easter message, Advincula said that the resurrection of Jesus is the most “subversive and revolutionary message of Christianity” amid international armed conflict, which has caused “inflation and economic hardship, severe mental and emotional anguish, not to mention the tragic loss of countless lives.”
“While drones and missiles continue to shake the ground of their targets, there is another earth-shaking event that has occurred today — the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead. This historical event, which has opened our earthly life to the eternal, is the Good News that our world so desperately needs,” Advincula said.
“Easter is a nonviolent battle against hatred and hostility. Easter is a summons to all peoples to reject the ‘globalization of indifference’ and the normalization of genocide. Together with our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, I call for an end to this senseless war that has brought nothing but suffering and destruction,” he added.
“With my brother bishops, I appeal for accountability, for the relentless pursuit of justice in public governance, and for more urgent action to alleviate the agony of our people,” he said.
Advincula also urged the faithful not to "romanticize" Easter, saying that the holiday must not be diminished to mere “sentimentality or routine greetings.”
“Let us not reduce our ‘Salubong’ to a lovely and charming tradition that fails to challenge our cynicism and apathy. Instead, let us celebrate it as it truly is — the triumph of light over darkness, the victory of God over death, the gift of new life from the cold tomb,” Advincula said.
“An authentic celebration of Easter calls us to rise to a new life, with renewed fervor to remain awake and vigilant. Let us not waste the sacrifice and offering of Jesus on the cross. Let us not fail to recognize the liberating presence of the Risen Christ in our midst,” he added.
On the evening of April 4, Advincula presided over the Easter Vigil Mass at the Manila Cathedral.
Easter Sunday ends the commemoration of Holy Week for Christians such as Roman Catholics, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
