Jubilee: Filipinos urged to journey together in hope

By Lisa Zengarini

As the Church enters the Jubilee Year 2025, Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) President Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan encouraged Filipino Catholics to remain steadfast in hope., true to their innate resilience and optimism, and walk together in a spirit of synodality, as Pope Francis asks.

Filipinos’ innate resilience is rooted in their deep faith in God

In a Pastoral letter released at the opening of the Jubilee in the Philippines, Cardinal David noted that Filipinos appear to have a “natural disposition” to hope rather than fear, as surveys spanning decades consistently demonstrate. He cited the findings of a research firm that regularly conducts a year-end survey showing that more than 90 percent of Filipinos have a positive outlook on the future. Experts link this optimism to the Filipinos’ deep religiosity and faith in God.

“Our noble sense of hope is linked to the conviction that “as long as there is life, there is hope” (“habang may buhay, may pag-asa”), observed Cardinal David . “Despite our struggles and frustrations, we will always continue to believe that “God has mercy” (“may awa ang Diyos”) or “God will care” (“Diyos na ang bahala”).

On the other hand, he acknowledged that some harsh realities, such as poverty, the devastating impact of climate change, mental health issues and political discord, can make hope “elusive and rare” for many. people.

The Jubilee of Hope challenges us to be stubborn in our faith

In this context, the Jubilee Year 2025 becomes a call to deepen faith and anchor hope in the love of God: it “challenges us to be stubborn in our faith,” underlined Cardinal David.

Pope Francis, he explained, chose the theme of hope “to help everyone acquire new strength and new certainty by looking to the future with an open mind, a trusting heart and a clear-sighted vision.” .

The head of the Philippine bishops called on Filipino Catholics to view the Jubilee Year as an opportunity for spiritual renewal and structural reform within the Church, emphasizing the importance of walking together in faith as a community. “Let us not waste the grace of the Jubilee. Let us not lose the momentum of spiritual renewal and structural reform initiated by the Synod on Synodality,” he urged.

We travel together in hope

As pilgrims of hope, “we are called to advance together, in synodality,” wrote Cardinal David, recalling that the logo of the Jubilee Year, representing the people of God in a boat, sailing on a sea agitated, with the cross as anchor, is a powerful reminder that we “are on the same boat, called to the conversion of relationships.”

“The ordinary jubilee year 2025 is the best opportunity for us to begin our formation in synodality in our basic ecclesial communities, parishes and dioceses,” he concluded. “We travel together in hope. We walk together in love”