With Palm Sunday marking the start of the Holy Week for Catholics, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle chose to address political leaders’ and their “arrogant kingship” that blind their followers.
“Sa mundo natin ngayon, namamayagpag ang mga haring puno ng kayabangan, kapos sa kapakumbabaan. Sa panahon natin ngayon, kay dami-raming sumusunod sa mga hari na ang ginagamit ay dahas, armas, pananakot – kapos na kapos sa pag-unawa at pakikiisa sa mga mahihina (In our world today, those in power are kings full of arrogance, lacking in humility. In our time, a lot are following these kings who use violence, arms, terror – lacking in understanding and unity with the oppressed),” Tagle said in his Palm Sunday homily on March 25.
While the Archbishop did not drop any names, he found it necessary and timely to instill this message, reiterating Jesus Christ as a king.
“The serene dignity and silence of the person who trusts in God, and who is in full solidarity with sinful humanity – that is true authority. That is our true King. That is the King that will save the world,” he stated.
As a reminder, Tagle used the Jesus Christ’s crucifixion story and the people he interacted with as an analogy to today’s political leaders and supporters.
“Tayo po ay tinatanong, tatanggapin mo ba ang hari na katulad ni Hesus? Susundan ba natin siya – siya na ganyang uri ng hari (We are being asked, will you accept Jesus as your king? Will you follow him – as this kind of king)?” he asked.
“Tinatanong tayo ni Pilato – sino ang pipiliin ninyo, ang mga Barabas ng panahon ngayon, o si Hesus, ang Hari (Poncius Pilate is asking – who will you choose, the Barabas of this time, or Jesus, the King)?” the Archbishop added.
Tagle rooted the premise of his homily from the events according to the Bible in which Pontius Pilate asked Jesus Christ if he was the king of Jews.
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