Archbishop Alberto Uy of Cebu called for moral conversion and an end to abuse of power, greed, and corruption as the local Church and civil society groups marked the 40th anniversary of the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution on Wednesday.
The Archdiocese of Cebu reported that Uy presided over a commemorative Mass at the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño, joined by Bishop Emmanuel Cabajar, CSsR, bishop-emeritus of Pagadian, and members of the clergy.
In his homily, the archbishop said the spirit of EDSA remains a living moral demand four decades after the uprising that toppled the Marcos dictatorship.
“Niining ika-40 nga anibersaryo sa EDSA, giawhag kita sa pagsinggit pag-usab: Igo na sa pag-abuso sa gahum, igo na sa kahakog, igo na sa korapsyon. Dili kini tawag sa kasuko o sa pagkabahin-bahin. Kini tawag sa konsensya. This is a call to moral conversion,” Uy said.
(On this 40th anniversary of EDSA, we are urged to cry out once more: Enough of the abuse of power, enough of greed, enough of corruption. This is not a call to anger or division. It is a call to conscience. This is a call to moral conversion.)
A short program followed the Mass, featuring keynote talks on the enduring legacy of the 1986 People Power Revolution and the continuing call for ethical leadership.
Uy later led a multi-sectoral peace march to Plaza Independencia, joined by students, faculty members, clergy and urban poor groups.
The march ended at the Martial Law marker within the plaza grounds, where the archbishop and other religious leaders offered flowers and rosaries.
They also handed flowers to personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, echoing the 1986 uprising when civilians offered flowers to soldiers during the largely peaceful revolt.
The commemoration concluded with the YUKBO Concert, a musical tribute featuring Cebuano artists.
