Public urged to remember message of Christ's love, salvation

DAGUPAN CITY , Philippines  – Today, Palm Sunday, Catholics will have palm fronds blessed to celebrate the triumphant entry of Christ to Jerusalem before he was crucified.

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas reminded the flock to remember, on this occasion, the message of Christ’s love and salvation through his passion.

He said the word “passion” could also mean a great commitment to a person or a cause. 

“Passion could also mean a powerful or compelling feeling within us that drives us to think and talk and act in a consonant fashion,” he said.

“The passion of Christ is love. The passion of Christ is the will of the Father. The passion of Christ is our salvation,” he added.

He then asked the faithful to reflect on Christ’s suffering on the cross to have the motivation for social involvement. “Christ’s sufferings must urge us to be more involved and be more passionate. Apathy must give way to involvement for the transformation of society,” he said.

Church-run Radio Veritas yesterday reported that Manila Archbishop Cardinal Rosales urged Catholics to support the second collection in masses today.

He said the money raised from the second collection would be used in the Alay Kapwa program of Caritas Manila, which primarily benefits victims of calamities and natural disasters.

Caritas Manila is the social service arm of the Archdiocese of Manila.

This year, the Catholic Church is holding special collections on all six Sundays of Lent.

Catholics worldwide celebrate the Holy Week beginning today. In the Philippines, many activities are observed during the week but it is the annual crucifixion rites on Good Friday that is the most prominent.

In Barangay Kapintangan in Paombong, Bulacan, the youngest man to join the yearly crucifixion rites is bowing out of the tradition after 16 years.

Alexie Dionisio, 33, first reenacted Christ’s crucifixion at Sto. Cristo Chapel in Barangay Kapitagan when he was only 15 years old.

He said he “received a message from God the Father” instructing him to carry the message of peace and love to humanity.

“I was told to have myself crucified only 16 times, like the number of the stations of the cross,” Dionisio told The STAR yesterday.

He said, however, that he would have himself crucified again if there is a “message from above.”

“If I receive a message again, I am ready, anytime, anywhere,” he said.

Dionisio carries nails used for crucifixion wherever he goes just in case he gets a message from above. 

In place of crucifixion, he would participate in the annual reading of the Passion of Christ which starts today.

He will also join the traditional bathing of Sto. Cristo on Wednesday. On Holy Thursday, he and his family will visit churches in the province for the annual Bisita Iglesia.

This year, four penitents will be crucified on Holy Thursday and Good Friday in Barangay Kapitagan.

An agricultural village located at the boundary of Hagonoy, Calumpit, and Paombong, it has become one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in the province during the Lenten season because of the crucifixion rites.

It has drawn hundreds of flagellants and penitents carrying crosses.

Jewish-Australian comedian John Safran had himself crucified in the barangay in 2009.

In the province of Pampanga, a female penitent will be crucified with three others in a crucifixion reenactment on Holy Wednesday at San Pedro Cutud. – With Evelyn Macairan, Dino Balabo