CEBU, Philippines – While the Archdiocese of Cebu has been blessed with so many things during its 75 years of existence, Archbishop Ricardo J. Vidal said it is also confronted so many challenges.
The prelate said Catholic faithful have been confronted by many “challenges in our midst,” like the evil of abortion and threat of the Reproductive Health Bill that may destroy the fabric of our families, the extra-judicial killing and killers-for-hire, the specter of a virus (Influenza A H1N1) that has no antidote to date, massive and crushing poverty, pornography and drug addiction among the youth, marital infidelity and broken homes, domestic violence and child abuse.
Vidal said he is aware that many of these problems have their root in the consciences of individuals. However, he admitted that all these challenges call for more than human effort to confront.
With the observance of the consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary on June 20, he appealed to parishioners to pray for these problems.
“By praying together as a family or as a parish, we hope to awaken the conscience of each and every person, so that cooperating with God’s grace, each one may also turn away from sin, seek forgiveness, and learn to forgive each other, and resolve to take the path of renewal in his or her life,” Vidal said.
He also mandated all the priests to conduct the consecration in their respective parishes, chaplaincies, or in the chapels of religious communities, on the designated day and hour, in communion with him (Vidal), who will make the consecration at the Cathedral that will be broadcasted over DyAB and Bantay Radyo.
The consecration is part of the archdiocese’s celebration of its Diamond Jubilee this year. It will be participated by the members of the archdiocese, clergy, religious and laity for an hour of prayer from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on June 20.
“Consecration means entrustment. When we consecrate ourselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we are entrusting ourselves to the care of Jesus the Good Shepherd and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary,” said Vidal.
However, those who cannot make it to their parish churches must make the consecration in their homes as a family, or anywhere they may find themselves on that hour to be in communion with the cardinal.
“I know that it takes more than a prayer to renew a community. The task is even more daunting on the scale of a whole archdiocese. But we must begin somewhere. And prayer is where we should begin,” Vidal said.
Meanwhile, Msgr. Achilles Dakay divulged to media that a businessman from Cebu admitted to him that he paid killers to kill the bad elements in the city.
However, Vidal said that “we are aware of the sin but not the sinner.” — Johanna T. Natavio/WAB (THE FREEMAN)