Young people must be “guardians of goodness and beauty,” was Pope Francis’ encouragement to the Conference of Catholic Bishops of the Philippines (CCBP), on the occasion of its 115th Plenary Assembly, held at Manila from July 8-1-, 2017.
In his message in English, reported by Vatican Radio, the Pope expressed his “solidarity in prayer.” He hoped that the Plenary Assembly would bear “spiritual fruits” and that the participants could “grow in more profound faith, hope and charity.”
“Thus, with your priests, you encourage all young Filipinos to become ‘joyful messengers of stimulating proposals [and] guardians of the goodness and beauty that shine in a life of fidelity to the Gospel,’” he added.
Vatican Radio recalled that the Philippine Bishops are at present facing the problems of extra judicial assassinations in the war against drugs, Islamist terrorism and the return of the death penalty. During this meeting, they reflected on the new program of formation of priests and on the challenges of young people, in preparation for the Synod of October 2018.
The Pope’s message was addressed, through the Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, to the President of the CCBP, Monsignor Socrates Villegas, who finished his mandate. At the beginning of the assembly, Monsignor Romulo Valles, Archbishop of Davao, was elected President to succeed him.
Pope Francis visited the country in 2015, to express his closeness to the people of Visayas, devastated by typhoon Yolanda in November 2013.
