‘Love is stronger than death’

MANILA, Philippines—Christ held out the olive branch to sinners to show that “loving, instead of suffering, makes them holy.”

As Catholics welcome Palm Sunday with the traditional waving of palm leaves to usher in the start of the Holy Week, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) reminded the faithful that the observance of the Lenten season should focus on God’s enduring love.

“This week is holy not due to the sufferings Christ endured but rather due to the love that Christ gave us. Love is stronger than death,” CBCP president Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said on Saturday.

The country has been getting the attention of the international media for its annual Lenten hooded barefoot devotees who perform conspicuous forms of religious penance such as bloody rituals of self-flagellation and real-life crucifixion reenactments.

Palm Sunday, which marks the start of the holiest week in the Catholic Church’s calendar, is the “reenactment of the glorious entrance of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem as he was welcomed by multitudes,” said Fr. Jerome Secillano, CBCP public affairs committee executive secretary.

Worshippers wave palm branches singing Hosanna, a Hebrew word which means “praise or joy.”

The palm leaves blessed on Palm Sunday will be turned to ashes and used on the next Ash Wednesday.

“The Church always urges the people to be one with the passion of Christ,” Secillano said.

Another official of the Church’s social action arm has called on the faithful to extend generosity to others this Palm Sunday and continue backing Alay Kapwa, the Lenten evangelization-action program, which aims to raise funds for the poor, oppressed and calamity survivors.

“Christ on the cross is our guiding strength in offering oneself to others in total self-giving,” said Archbishop Rolando Tria Tirona, executive director of the National Secretariat for Social Action/Caritas Philippines.

The chief pastor of Caceres diocese in Naga City reminded Catholics not to forget to reflect on the plight of their neighbors—their brothers and sisters—especially those who have less in life.

According to Tirona, contributions to Alay Kapwa this Lent will be used to sustain its various initiatives on good governance, sustainable agriculture, and children and women’s rights.

Alay Kapwa, which roughly translates to “offering to one’s neighbor,” previously supported the Church’s disaster response program, providing as much as P4,944,155 to the dioceses affected by Typhoons “Ruby” and “Seniang” in 2014.

Created in 1975 by the Catholic Church in the Philippines, the Alay Kapwa program recently launched a campaign in celebration of its 40th founding anniversary called “40-4-d-4 (Forty for the Poor)” project.

Aside from raising as much as P4 million, Tirona said the project seeks to empower the poor as well as marginalized women through self-help group (SHeG) microentrepreneurship.