Cardinal Tagle: Roll away ‘stones of injustice’

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila urged the faithful to roll away modern “stones of injustice”, blocking all movements for justice and the spread of “invigorating humanness”.

In his Easter message, the cardinal said the stone blocking Jesus’ tomb signifies the cessation of “genuine love” and “authentic caring” in the country today.

“The stones of sin, selfishness, greed, indifference, hatred, lust, idolatry keep people and societies in tombs,” said the prelate.

Christians are called to follow the steps of Christ, he said. and when they are committed to the Gospel of justice and love, the “stone of sins” will be moved.

He said this includes rolling away stones which prevent people from fighting corruption, injustice, slavery, human trafficking, discrimination, murder, and even ecological neglect.

“We have the answer: God will do it. The stones will crumble. The guards will fall flat. The Risen One will walk calmly to meet us. Let us go and meet Him,” said Tagle.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) also expressed hopes that the Easter celebration will allow Filipinos to always find hope despite facing dire situations.

Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles, CBCP president, called on the faithful to never lose faith, hold on to hope, and trust in God always.

“May it be that our Lenten observances have made us ready to go through the many ‘darknesses’ of our present life, when often we are desperate and have lost hope, and still we walk with Jesus deeply believing that with him, we will see light and life,” he said.