Manila’s Card Tagle tells prisoners, “We still have hope” because God loves us
The capital’s archbishop met inmates in prison where he opened the Holy Door and celebrated Mass. “We are all capable of betrayal but let’s not forget that we’re also capable of loving,” he said. The Church in the Philippines has been engaged in pastoral outreach in the country’s overcrowded and poorly maintained prisons for years.
Manila (AsiaNews) – Card Luis Tagle yesterday met a group of prisoners at the Manila City Jail to celebrate the Holy Week and the Jubilee of Mercy.
“Let’s not lose hope. All of us, including me, commit mistakes. We are all capable of betrayal but let’s not forget that we’re also capable of loving,” the prelate told the prisoners in his homily.
“We sinned like Judas and Peter,” he added, “but let’s not forget that we can still be like Jesus, who, even if we’re not worthy, took care of us as his friends”.
Prior to the liturgical celebration, the cardinal, along with Papal Nuncio Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto, led the opening the “Holy Door” in the prison’s chapel.
“In entering the door of mercy, enter into the heart of Jesus and there you will experience how God loved us and offered His life.We still have hope," Tagle said.
During the Mass, the cardinal asked the inmates to pray for their families and loved ones. To “all of you here,” he said, “open your hearts to other people. You are like one family here. Spread God’s love to each other” through service.
After the Mass, the inmates sang the ‘Prayer to St Francis’, which left Cardinal Tagle teary-eyed.
Prisons are a major social problem in the Philippines. Stuck in overcrowded facilities, inmates often languish in prison for long periods of time before their cases ever go to trial.
According to the Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Prisons (ECPPC), in 2014 only 35 per cent of the 114,368 prisoners under the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and the Bureau of Correction (BuCor) were actually found guilty of crimes.
“The Church has been engaged in pastoral outreach in prisons for many years,” said Fr Giovanni Re, PIME regional superior in the Philippines. “Many groups of faithful visit prisoners at precise moments, especially at Christmas."
Last February, a group of Christians and Muslims met prisoners at a prison in Zamboanga, one of the most overcrowded correctional facilities in the Philippines, to educate prisoners about dialogue and tolerance.
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