The archbishop of Manila warned against what he called the “globalization of indifference” and urged Catholics to treat Easter as a call to resist injustice and act for those who suffer.
In his Easter message, Cardinal Jose Advincula pointed to a world shaped by war and hardship, echoing Pope Francis’ description of today’s conflicts as a “piecemeal” global war that has brought “immense suffering to all of us,” from “inflation and economic hardship to severe mental and emotional anguish,” and the “tragic loss of countless lives.”
He said Easter must not be reduced to ritual or sentiment.
“Let us not romanticize Easter. Let us not diminish the Resurrection of the Lord to mere sentimentality and routine greetings,” he said, urging a response that confronts the realities people face.
Advincula described the Resurrection as “the triumph of light over darkness, the victory of God over death, and the gift of new life from the cold tomb,” calling it “the most subversive and revolutionary message of Christianity.”
“It is a call to resistance — to push back against the forces that ruthlessly seek to bury our joy and our future,” he added.
He said Easter demands a moral response from both individuals and institutions.
“It is a summons to all peoples to reject the ‘globalization of indifference’ and the normalization of genocide,” the cardinal said.
“I call for an end to this senseless war that has brought nothing but suffering and destruction,” while appealing “for accountability, for the relentless pursuit of justice in public governance, and for more urgent action to alleviate the agony of our people,” the prelate said.
He urged the faithful to remain vigilant and to recognize “the liberating presence of the Risen Christ in our midst,” calling the Easter season “an opportune time for all of us to roll away the stones that have long oppressed us.”
