Make time for charity work this Holy Week, faithful urged

MANILA – The social action and humanitarian arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) urged the faithful to take time to do charity works aside from joining traditional religious activities during the Holy Week.

Caritas Philippines president Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo on Monday said Catholics may also consider helping those in need during Lenten observance.

"This calls us to journey with Jesus and with one another, to be transfigured by His love and mercy, and to take our brothers and sisters with us and lead them to Him. May this season of Lent be a time of grace and transformation, leading us to a deeper relationship with God, and to love and serve our brothers and sisters in need," the Catholic prelate said in a statement.

He asked the faithful to support the Catholic Church's "Alay Kapwa" (Offering of oneself to one's neighbor) program.

"Caritas Philippines urges everyone to take this time for reconciliation, renewal, and Alay Kapwa," Bagaforo said.

"Reconciliation, Renewal, and Alay Kapwa are inseparable from one another. It is because these are all acts of love," he added.

Alay Kapwa is the annual Lenten evangelization and fundraising program of the Catholic Church that supports social services for the poor and in need.

During the Holy Week, the Catholic Church urged the faithful to pray, fast, and do charity works. They also join traditional activities such as Visita Iglesia (church visits) and Via Crucis (way of the cross).

This year's Holy Week, which commemorates the life, passion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, starts on April 2 (Palm Sunday) and ends on April 9 (Easter Sunday). (PNA)