Bishop urges: Let us entrust the nation to Mary

After the ouster of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Bacolod Bishop Patricio Buzon has led a prayer Friday outside the diocese’s cathedral and urged the faithful to entrust the nation to Mary.

Immediately after Sereno’s ouster, the bishop circulated a text message inviting the faithful to gather in front of the San Sebastian Cathedral to pray the rosary.

Around 300 people showed up for the unplanned prayer gathering with a simple message: “uphold and preserve the justice in the country”.

“We appeal to a power that is greater than us because the ‘power’ in our midst seems to be so formidable and so scary,” Buzon told the crowd.

“We also need to do our part, more than just pray, to remain vigilant, to be stewards of democracy, the Constitution, the ideals of justice, of truth,” he said.

The bishop also urged the congregation “to continue to express our defense of the Constitution”.

He underscored that this call is not just about Sereno: “It’s about the institution; it is the Supreme Court that is trampled upon.”

Diocesan Chancellor Fr. Roy Christian Gesulgon said the bishop was surprised by the turnout of the prayer gathering.

“Since the bishop’s call was made only this afternoon, he would have been content on having a few gathered,” he said.