Prelate welcomes Senate nod on Nat’l Bible Day bill

FILE: Bible (Pixabay photo)

MANILA — A Catholic prelate lauded the Senate’s approval of the bill declaring a National Bible Day in the country.

“Very nice move of the Senate. The whole month of January had been declared as National Bible Month. All Christians in the Philippines are celebrating every year the National Bible Week during the last week of January — from Monday to the last Sunday of January,” said Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes, former head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-Episcopal Commission on the Biblical Apostolate.

“Now Congress is crafting a law to make the last Monday of January the official National Bible Day.

Praise the Lord! To God be the glory!” Bastes exclaimed.

On Monday, senators approved on third and final reading Senate Bill No. 1270, which seeks to declare the last Monday of January as “National Bible Day”.

Under the bill, the day will be declared as a special working holiday in celebration of the Christian faith and the values on the Holy Bible.

Senator Manny Pacquiao, author of the bill, said the move aimed to call all Christians to unite and celebrate the Holy Bible as the cradle of human faith. (PNA)