MANILA, Philippines—The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Sunday said that the “spirit of Easter” is present in the Filipinos who have a “deep sense of service and sacrifice” during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis.
As headlines announce death tolls in the Philippines and around the world, CBCP President Romulo G. Valles observed in his Easter Sunday message that “one can easily be overwhelmed by this grim worldwide situation”
Despite this, the Davao archbishop noted that individual actions of goodness bring hope, just as Easter celebrates Jesus’s resurrection when he “is victorious over death.”
“Yes, no doubt, we are in an extremely grim situation, but I see clear sparks of the spirit of Easter in the hearts of thousands in the midst of this pandemic,” he said.
“Indeed, it is so moving and so heartwarming to see individuals trying to save and protect the life of ailing patients, whose hearts are filled with selfless goodness for others, especially for the sick and the poor, individuals who have the courage to offer heroic service and sacrifice with the clear risk of losing their very own lives.
“Are these not concrete manifestations of the Easter spirit? Looking at all these, isn’t it that our hearts begin to fill up with hope?” wondered Valles.
“Then I begin to believe that we, as Filipinos, together with all the peoples in the world, are bigger than the threat of the coronavirus pandemic,” he said.
“Together, with hearts filled with goodness and love, filled with deep sense of service and sacrifice, I begin to see the hope of Easter in us, and this hope is stronger when we, together, have hearts like that of Jesus in his sacrifice in Calvary.”
The message comes after the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) was extended to April 30 amid rising cases of the infectious disease in the country. Health workers have been hailed for their continuous service, with some perishing to COVID-19.
The public and private sector, as well as individual citizens, have come together to assist those adversely affected by the ECQ due to the lack of livelihood.
RELATED STORY: