MANILA, Philippines — The traditional Santacruzan could also be used as an opportunity for evangelization, Papal Nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown said.
“We need to really honor and cherish these popular devotions,” he said in a recent interview over Church-run Radio Veritas.
“But try to use them as an opportunity for evangelization but also to catechize them. Sometimes, they need, you know, a catechetical element,” Brown added.
The Santacruzan is a ritual pageant introduced by the Spaniards and held on the last day of the Flores de Mayo (Flowers of May) festival in many cities and towns.
During the Santacruzan, children and young adults don elaborate dresses, gowns and formal attire and parade around the community. At times, celebrities are invited to join the procession.
It depicts the finding of the Holy Cross by Queen Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great.