MANILA — A Philippine bishop who joined the global Synod on Synodality has captured his experience in Rome into a book aimed at helping Catholics put synodality into practice in their parishes and dioceses.

Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara of Pasig launched “Spirituality of Synodality: A Compilation of Talks on Synodality” Friday during the Manila International Book Fair at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

Vergara, a former vice president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, was among the Philippine delegates to the Synod of Bishops in Rome in 2023 and 2024.

The book brings together talks he delivered before, during and after the synod, arranged to help readers understand its vision and apply it in local Church communities.

“The book is a compilation of my talks but it was arranged systematically from the start of the synod and as we are in the implementation stage,” Vergara told CBCP News.

“I think it will benefit the ordained, consecrated and lay servants of the Church,” he said.

Vergara said he hopes the book will help Catholics move beyond understanding the synod in putting its principles into practice “in our parishes, in our church organizations, in our dioceses.”

The Vatican has moved the synod into an implementation phase, asking local Churches to discern how the synod’s final document can be applied in their communities.

Vergara said he initially felt uneasy about becoming a synod delegate because it meant leaving his diocese for an extended period.

That uneasiness gave way to gratitude as he met delegates from different parts of the world and experienced what he described as genuine “walking together.”

“Our communal prayers during the sessions, especially the daily celebration of the Eucharist, became moments of profound grace,” Vergara said in his message for the book launch.

The experience exposed him to the challenges faced by Church workers around the world and became an occasion for personal conversion, he said.

“Yet I also witnessed how they remained steadfast, anchored in God’s love, mercy, and compassion,” Vergara said. “In them, I saw synodal spirituality not merely discussed but genuinely lived.”

CBCP president Archbishop Gilbert Garcera of Lipa described the book as a contribution to the Church’s continuing synodal journey.

“Synodality is not merely a pastoral program or ecclesial method; it is a spirituality of listening, discernment, participation, and mission,” Garcera said.

He said Vergara’s reflections encourage Catholics to become a Church that “listens, welcomes, serves, and walks together,” particularly with people on the margins.

Claretian Publications executive director Fr. Louie Gaudes, whose organization published the book, said synodality begins with people transformed by the Spirit.

The book invites Catholics to embrace a spirituality that “listens, discerns, accompanies, and journeys together” while building a culture of encounter, Gaudes said.

Vergara said he hopes the reflections will deepen synodal spirituality and help Catholics become more effective and faithful servant-leaders in the Church.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cubao lost two priests on the same day, Sept. 11, leaving the Catholic community mourning the deaths of a 54-year-old priest and his 35-year-old brother in ministry.

The diocese announced the death of Fr. Michael James Ty, 54, at about 3 p.m. Friday. Minutes later, it issued a separate announcement saying Fr. Edward Anthony Cometa, 35, had also died.

Both priests died at the same hospital, but the diocese has not disclosed the causes of their deaths.

“A day of mourning for the Diocese of Cubao. In life and in death, God calls two by two,” Bishop Elias Ayuban Jr. said in a social media post.

The diocese described the two priests as brothers in ministry and asked clergy and the faithful to pray for them and their families.

It said details of the wakes, funeral rites and burials would be announced once arrangements are finalized.

VATICAN — Pope Leo XIV said the first task bishops must place before every other responsibility is to “remain with Jesus,” because, he emphasized, “we are bishops, but first and foremost we are disciples.”

“To speak about him, we need to be with him; to lead his people, we must allow ourselves, every day, to be led by him. Among the many things you will be called to do as bishops, this is the most important,” he explained.

On Thursday, Sept. 10, the Holy Father received at the Vatican 147 bishops from five continents who participated in formation courses in Rome aimed at strengthening ecclesial communion and providing tools for the exercise of their ministry.

Participants in this yearʼs program came from numerous countries in Africa, Asia, Oceania, and Latin America, including Algeria, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Ghana, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Myanmar, Namibia, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Central African Republic, Senegal, Seychelles, the Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Kyrgyzstan, and Thailand.

“Together you have listened, prayed, celebrated the Eucharist, and shared the hopes and dreams that you carry in your hearts for the Churches that the Lord has just entrusted to your pastoral care. All of this will help you remember something very simple and very precious: No bishop walks alone,” the pope said.

During his address, Leo XIV shared several reflections on the theme of the meeting, “Bishops, Servants of Communion in the Church and in Today’s World.”

A heart of the Good Shepherd

The pope highlighted as a second fundamental aspect the need for bishops to have the “heart of Jesus the Good Shepherd, a heart completely turned toward the Father and, precisely because of this, wholly given to his brothers and sisters.

“The bishop is a man who learns each day to love his people more deeply: to know the joys and sorrows of his people, to share in their dreams, and to rejoice at the growth of their communities,” he explained.

In this regard, he entrusted them with the task of learning the names of the people who live in their dioceses.

“Learn their names, listen to their stories, enter their homes whenever possible, and pray with them. Especially in young Churches, the presence of the bishop often speaks volumes even before his words do.”

According to the pope, “a visit, a blessing, time given to a priest, listening to a family, dialogue with a young person: These are small gestures, yet they can remain in a person’s heart for a lifetime.”

Another characteristic of the bishop is what tradition calls “sollicitudo pastoralis” — that is, pastoral solicitude or concern.

“This is proper to episcopal fatherhood: having a heart large enough to make room for everyone, carrying your children within you and presenting them each day to the Lord in prayer,” he stressed.

Special care for priests

The pope also invited the prelates to take special care of their priests: “In this regard, dear brothers, I urge you to love your priests. Let each one find in you a father and a brother. Listen to them, encourage them, pray for them, rejoice in the good they accomplish, and accompany them with trust in their ministry. Give particular attention to those who are elderly and ill. Let them feel that they are precious, that the Church is grateful to them, and that the bishop does not forget them. Sometimes a telephone call, a visit, or an affectionate word from you is enough.”

Ministry as a service of love

The Holy Father also recalled another essential dimension of episcopal ministry, described by St. Augustine with a beautiful expression: “amoris officium” — that is, a service of love.

“Our preaching is an act of love, just as listening, prayer, discernment, time given to others, and our presence are acts of love. It is pastoral charity, through which Christ the Shepherd reaches the people he loves through our poor humanity,” he said.

Leo XIV noted that humanity is living through an age marked by rapid change.

“Developments in communication technologies and artificial intelligence have opened possibilities that, until only a few years ago, we could hardly have imagined. Yet they certainly cannot free humanity from sin and its consequences; the crises through which our world is passing tragically demonstrate this,” he said.

In this context, he recalled that the Church celebrated the Jubilee of Hope last year.

“Within a complex and in some respects troubling landscape such as the present one, the Church celebrated last year the Jubilee of Hope. Was this because she lives apart from the world? On the contrary, it is because, through Christ crucified and risen, she is sent to proclaim the Gospel of salvation to everyone. And we bishops are the first recipients of this mandate,” he said.

The pope also referred to his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, which he said was intended to offer “a vision and a method for addressing the great challenge of safeguarding what is human in the age of artificial intelligence.”

A Church open to everyone

Finally, Leo XIV underscored the missionary dimension of the episcopate and said that bishops must have hearts open to everyone: “not only to those who attend our parishes but also to Christians of other denominations, believers of other religions, people who profess no faith, and all men and women of goodwill.”

“He listens to and respects everyone; he draws close to everyone and knows how to recognize the good that is present in every human heart,” he said.

MANILA — Here is the full text of the homily delivered by CBCP President Archbishop Gilbert Garcera at the opening Mass of the Asian Catholic Digital Missionary Assembly at Radio Veritas Asia in Fairview, Quezon City, on Sept. 11, 2026:

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, dear journalists, media practitioners, and friends of Radio Veritas Asia,

I accepted this invitation not because I am the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. I accepted it because this place – Radio Veritas Asia is very memorable to me. This is the same stage, in this same building where, after EDSA II, the Late Archbishop of Manila, Jaime Cardinal Sin appointed me as Administrative Director of Radio Veritas Asia. Here, we gathered our employees and celebrated international events with our Telugu, Urdu, Tamil, Kachin, Karen, Mandarin, Bengali, Hindi, Sinhala, Filipino, and other language services. From this very place – here in Buick Street, Fairview, Quezon City, through analogue transmission, the Catholic faith was heard in the forests and communities of Asia.

Radio Veritas was born from the vision of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences – FABC, to communicate the Gospel across the diverse realities of Asia. Today, the technology has changed—from short wave radio transmission to digital platforms, social media, podcasts, livestreams and artificial intelligence.

But the mission remains: to bring truth, hope and the Gospel to the peoples of Asia.

For us Asian Bishops – for us members of the FABC Central Committee, we say: “we do not just proclaim Jesus in Asia, we whisper Jesus in all of Asia.” The phrase “whispering Jesus in Asia” is a beautiful and profound way of describing the mission of the Church in the Asian context. It suggests that proclaiming Christ in Asia is not primarily about making a loud declaration, but about gently, respectfully, and patiently making Jesus present in the lives and cultures of peoples. We bring Jesus not by shouting over Asia, but by drawing close to Asia, listening to its peoples, walking with them, serving them, and gently making the love of Christ heard and experienced.

There is also a beautiful paradox in the phrase: a whisper is quiet, but it can travel far when spoken with love and conviction. The mission may not always appear spectacular, yet a quiet witness can enter hearts, families, communities, and cultures in ways that loud proclamation cannot.

In this sense, “whispering Jesus in all of Asia” is a spirituality of mission—a call to proclaim Christ through humility, dialogue, presence, compassion, accompaniment, and faithful witness, trusting that God himself will make the Gospel take root.

The Areopagus of the Modern Age

In the Apostolic Exhortation, Ecclesia in Asia, 1999 – Pope St. John Paul reminds us that social communication has become a powerful force in shaping culture, especially among the young. He calls the media the “Areopagus of the modern age.” Today, that Areopagus is everywhere—in our radios, televisions, smartphones and social-media platforms.

The Church therefore cannot simply use media to spread a message. We must enter the new culture created by modern communication, learning its language while remaining faithful to the Gospel.

This means that Catholic media must not only speak to Asia; it must also listen to Asia—especially to the poor, migrants, indigenous peoples, young people, victims of injustices and the marginalized. Before speaking about people, learn to listen to people.

A vocation, not merely a profession

Dear journalists and digital media practitioners, you are not merely content creators. You are witnesses. Every headline, photograph, video, post and story makes a choice: What will we highlight? Whose voice will we hear? Whose voice will remain unheard? That is why communication is not merely technical. It is a moral responsibility.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks: “Can a blind person guide a blind person?” This question challenges all of us who communicate. Are we helping people see reality more clearly—or are we adding to the confusion? Are we reporting what is true—or simply what is trending, what is popular, or what wins the most thumbs-up and heart emojis? Are we informing people—or merely provoking them?

In a world where truth can easily be measured by clicks, likes, reactions, and shares, we must never allow popularity to become the measure of truth.

And Jesus tells us: “Remove the wooden beam from your own eye first.” Before we expose the blindness of others, we must examine our own blindness—our prejudices, assumptions and biases. Authentic witnessing begins with self-examination and listening.

Disarm our words

This is why, in his new encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, paragraph 214, Pope Leo’s call to “disarm words” is so relevant and timely today. Words can heal, but words can also inflict wounds. Words can build bridges, but words can also create walls and construct the tower of babel in our modern times.

To disarm words does not mean to weaken journalism. It means to speak the truth without hatred, to denounce injustice without dehumanizing, and to criticize without destroying the dignity of the person.

In the digital age, where misinformation travels quickly and AI can produce convincing falsehoods, the responsibility of journalists becomes even greater. The world needs media practitioners who can help people discern what is true.

Therefore: Verify before you publish. Listen before you judge. Understand before you interpret. Give context before you condemn. Do not allow clicks, ratings, followers or virality to become more important than truth.

“I have become all things to all”

St. Paul in the first reading tells us: “I have become all things to all.” This is also the mission of Catholic media in Asia. Asia is not one reality. It is a continent of different cultures, religions, languages, poverty, development, conflict and hope. As Bishops of Asia, FABC promotes the triple dialogue – dialogue with the different cultures of Asia, the dialogue with the different religions in Asia and the dialogue with the Poor. “Whispering Jesus in Asia” is almost a spirituality of the triple dialogue. We whisper Jesus in the cultures by allowing the Gospel to take flesh in Asian ways of life. We whisper Jesus among the religions by listening, building friendship, and working together for peace. We whisper Jesus among the poor by becoming present to them through compassion, solidarity, and service.

Therefore, we must listen to Asia — especially to those whose voices are often unheard: the poor, migrants, indigenous peoples, young people, victims of injustices and the marginalized.

Before speaking about people, learn to listen to people.

Once, with nothing more than an analogue transmitter, Radio Veritas sent the voice of the Gospel across the vast landscapes of Asia—through the forests and mountains of the remotest parts of China, across villages and communities, and into the Muslim heartlands of the Middle East. Its signal travelled where missionaries could not easily go, crossing distances, cultures, languages, and borders. It was, in a very real sense, a whisper of Jesus carried on the airwaves—quietly reaching hearts in the farthest corners of Asia. Today, every digital platform is a transmitter. That is a great privilege—and a great responsibility. May each one of the participants in this conference continue to be a voice that speaks to Asia, a voice that listens to Asia, and a voice that gives hope to Asia.

And may our journalism and digital missionary presence always serve truth, human dignity, justice, peace and the common good. Because ultimately, we are not called simply to communicate information. We are called to be witnesses to the Truth—and the Truth is Jesus Christ.

MANILA — Catholic media in Asia must move beyond using digital platforms simply to spread messages and instead amplify the voices of people often overlooked, Philippine bishops’ conference president Archbishop Gilbert Garcera said Friday.

“The Church therefore cannot simply use media to spread a message. We must enter the new culture created by modern communication, learning its language while remaining faithful to the Gospel,” Garcera said.

He said digital technology has created a new culture shaping how people communicate and understand society, requiring Catholic media to adapt while upholding truth, human dignity and the Gospel.

He urged Catholic journalists and digital communicators to listen especially to the victims of injustices and and the marginalized communities before telling their stories.

“We must listen to Asia — especially to those whose voices are often unheard: the poor, migrants, indigenous peoples, young people, victims of injustices and the marginalized,” Garcera said.

Garcera also warned against allowing online popularity to determine what Catholic media reports or how stories are told.

“We must never allow popularity to become the measure of truth,” he said.

Catholic communicators are not merely “content creators,” Garcera said, but witnesses whose choices about what to report, whom to quote and whose voices to amplify carry moral responsibility.

He urged Church media to resist chasing clicks, likes and virality when doing so could come at the expense of truth and human dignity.

Garcera made the remarks in his homily at the opening Mass of the Asian Catholic Digital Missionary Assembly at the Radio Veritas Asia headquarters in Quezon City.

The four-day assembly, which ends Sept. 13, brings together Catholic digital missionaries, content creators and communicators from across Asia under the theme “Influencers to Witnesses: A Synodal Way for Digital Mission in Asia.”

The gathering is organized by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences Office of Social Communications and RVA, in partnership with the Vatican Dicastery for Communication.

MANILA — Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle invoked his father’s childhood wounds from World War II in a forceful appeal Thursday for an end to wars and violence that leave lasting scars on families and communities.

“In the name of Tatay Maning: Please, no more wars. No more widows — women who are made widows without any sense. Please, no more violence that will create wounded young people,” Tagle said during his father’s funeral Mass at Imus Cathedral in Cavite, south of Manila.

Manuel “Tatay Maning” Tagle Sr. was 14 when an air raid struck his neighborhood during the war, killing his father and injuring him. He survived with shrapnel lodged in his body for the rest of his life.

“He bore in his body, in his mind, in his memory, the horrors of war,” Tagle said in his homily.

The pro-prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization said his father’s story showed that war wounds extend far beyond the battlefield, affecting people, families and entire communities for generations.

Tagle said his father also survived because people around him offered support during the war, a lesson he connected to the importance of human relationships.

“Life is in communion. Life is in relationship with God, with brothers and sisters, with the whole of society, with the whole of creation. That’s where we find life,” he said.

Manuel Sr. died Sept. 6 at 96, days after he and his wife, Milagros, marked their 70th wedding anniversary on Aug. 26.

Tagle recalled his father’s quiet service to others, including bringing Holy Communion to the sick as a Eucharistic minister and helping young people pursue education, including blind students.

He said those acts showed a life centered on service and connection, themes that also shaped his reflection on death and Christian hope.

“Others may forget you, but with God remembering you, time is healed by eternal memory,” Tagle said.

Twelve bishops, including Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan and papal nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown concelebrated the funeral Mass with more than 100 priests.

MANILA — Pope Leo XIV on Thursday appointed Bishop Crispin Varquez of Borongan to lead the Diocese of Tagbilaran, returning the Bohol-born prelate to the diocese where he was ordained a priest.

The Vatican announced the appointment at noon in Rome, or 6 p.m. in the Philippines.

Varquez, 65, succeeds Archbishop Alberto Uy, who took over the Archdiocese of Cebu in September 2025.

His appointment also comes about four months after then bishop-elect Gerardo Saco Jr. withdrew from taking over the diocese just three weeks before his scheduled episcopal ordination.

Saco, who remains diocesan administrator, said in a May 5 statement that his decision followed “much prayer and careful discernment” and stemmed from a deep awareness of his “human limitations and inadequacies.”

Varquez was born in Sevilla town on Dec. 5 , 1960, and studied philosophy at the Immaculate Heart Seminary in Tagbilaran City and theology at St. Augustine Major Seminary in Tagaytay City.

He was ordained a priest for the Tagbilaran diocese on April 14, 1989, at age 28. He later pursued postgraduate studies in seminary formation in Cebu City and family counseling at the Center for Family Ministry of Ateneo de Manila University.

Varquez served as a formator at Immaculate Heart Seminary-Bohol for four years and at St. Augustine Major Seminary in Tagaytay for five years.

He later held several diocesan posts, including vicar general of Tagbilaran, when Pope Benedict XVI appointed him bishop of Borongan in August 2007.

Varquez was ordained to the episcopate at Tagbilaran Cathedral on Oct. 18, 2007. He was installed as bishop of Borongan on Nov. 8 that year.

He will become the eighth bishop of Tagbilaran, which was established as a diocese in 1941. One of his predecessors was retired Bishop Leonardo Medroso, whom Varquez also succeeded as bishop of Borongan.

Within the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Varquez served two consecutive terms on its Permanent Council from 2013 to 2017.

He also chaired the bishops’ Episcopal Commission on Women for three terms from 2019 to 2025.

He currently serves as vice chairman of the CBCP Committee on Bishops’ Concerns and as a member of the Episcopal Commission on Social Action, Justice and Peace.

VATICAN — Pope Leo XIV reflects on human love in the prologue to the new edition of “YouCat: Love Forever,” emphasizing that it is not a fleeting feeling but rather “a decision, a journey, and a lifelong covenant.”

This version of the catechism, aimed at young people preparing for the vocation of marriage, is scheduled for release in November. The first edition of this catechism was published one week after the passing of Pope Francis in May 2025.

“Your heart longs for love, a deep, passionate, and enduring love,” notes Leo XIV, emphasizing that this desire is no accident but rather “a sign that you were created for love.”

Reflecting on this teaching, Pope Leo emphasizes that “God himself can make his presence felt within human love and transform it,” such that “he endows us with the capacity to love as he loves: by serving through a generous gift of one’s self, and if necessary, by forgiving.”

Regarding love between a man and a woman, the pope says it “may pierce the heart like an arrow, swiftly and impetuously,” yet it does not stop there, for “it is not an ephemeral or fleeting sentiment.”

“It is much more,” the pope adds. “It is a profound ‘yes’ to the other, a decision, a journey, and a lifelong covenant,” when it reflects Godʼs love.

He further explains that “solid, deep relationships are built together on mutual trust, on that ‘forever’ that beats at the heart of every vocation,” with a love that “asks first: ‘How can I love as Christ has loved?’ and puts the question ‘What will I receive?’ in the background.”

Loving to the point of death: ‘The DNA of Christianity’

The Holy Father also takes the opportunity to explain to young people that something of the divine mystery is revealed in marriage: “When a man and a woman give themselves completely to one another in love, God comes alive in their midst. Their fidelity, their forgiveness, and their daily striving for the good are a reflection of Christʼs love for his Church.”

He also encourages young people not to fear the depth of the “great love” to which they are called, because “it is strong enough to overcome difficulties and great enough to sustain you throughout your entire life.”

This love “is not perfect, but grows in the light of faith”; it is “a gift from God, and we cannot produce it on our own.” Unlike human love, often clouded by selfish desires, it “is selfless, patient, and kind, possessing all those wonderful qualities St. Paul lists in the Letter to the Corinthians.”

The pontiff writes that “we behold the most beautiful image of true love when we look at the cross of Jesus Christ,” which confirms that “he loves us so much that he was willing to die for us. This is the DNA of Christianity, the commandment of Christ.”

Finally, Pope Leo expresses his appreciation for the new edition, which features numerous testimonies from young people in over 30 countries, testifying “that the ideal to which Christ calls us is a fascinating treasure” and constitutes an invitation to open oneʼs heart “to a plan greater than any human dream.”

It serves as preparation for a “yes” that is good not just for a day, but for a lifetime; a “yes” that, like Godʼs love, is tireless and faithful, the pope explains, saying he prays that young people respond “with confidence and courage to the most beautiful of all vocations: the vocation to love.”

ROME — A newly appointed Philippine bishop said Tuesday a Vatican formation course has strengthened his resolve to promote peace in his region, where his pastoral work is shaped by a longstanding peace situation.

Bishop Sean Mejia of the Apostolic Vicariate of Tabuk said the course deepened his understanding of episcopal ministry and reminded him that bishops must rely on God’s mercy and grace.

“In our context in Kalinga-Apayao, given the peace situation, I guess I have to strengthen my advocacy of peace,” Mejia told CBCP News during a fellowship dinner at the Pontificio Collegio Filippino (PCF) in Rome.

Mejia is among seven bishops from the Philippines attending the Vatican’s annual formation course for newly appointed bishops, which began Sept. 2 and ends Sept. 10. The program brings together 147 prelates from around the world for formation, prayer, dialogue and fraternity.

Organized by the Dicastery for Bishops and the Dicastery for Evangelization, the sessions address issues including liturgy, mission, cultural change, safeguarding, Church governance, canon law, interreligious dialogue and priestly formation.

For Mejia, the experience has reinforced that becoming a bishop is not simply an achievement but a responsibility entrusted to him

“The episcopal ministry is entrusted, it’s always a grace,” Mejia said. “We are not worthy, but for me I believe it’s always grace.”

He said his episcopal motto, “Eternal is his merciful love,” has taken on deeper meaning during the course and strengthened his reliance on God’s mercy.

“The course deepened my understanding that at the end of the day what sustains me in the episcopal ministry is his mercy and grace,” he said.

Mejia, a native of Tabuk, was ordained and installed as the third apostolic vicar of Tabuk on June 2. The vicariate covers the northern provinces of Kalinga and Apayao.

The bishop also said meeting newly appointed bishops from different parts of the world helped him recognize that he is not alone in facing the challenges of episcopal ministry.

“It gives me strength to say I’m not alone in this struggle,” he said, describing the encounters with fellow bishops as “a beautiful experience.”

The Filipino bishops gathered at the PCF on Sept. 8, where its rector Fr. Gregory Ramon Gaston welcomed them along with other Filipino priests and religious serving in Rome and officials of the Roman Curia.

Gaston described the Philippine college as a “Home in Rome” that provides formation and fraternity for Filipino clergy and welcomes Philippine bishops visiting the Holy See.

The Vatican program will conclude Sept. 10 with Mass and the veneration of the relics of the Apostle Peter in St. Peter’s Basilica, presided over by Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of the basilica.

The program will culminate with an audience with Pope Leo XIV, bringing together the themes of formation, prayer and fraternity that have marked the bishops’ preparation for episcopal ministry.

BORONGAN City — A Catholic bishop has urged parents to teach children from an early age to protect the environment, saying care for creation should begin at home.

Bishop Crispin Varquez of Borongan said families should raise children who understand that protecting nature is part of being responsible members of society.

“It’s about time we become aware that all of us must be involved in protecting our environment. It starts with the family,” Varquez said during Mass at Borongan Cathedral for the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Sept. 8.

He urged parents to teach children proper waste disposal and respect for nature, saying careless habits at home can contribute to wider environmental problems.

Citing the Borongan City Council’s resolution against mining, Varquez called on local governments across Samar Island to oppose destructive mining and protect forests, watersheds and other environmentally sensitive areas.

“I hope all the LGUs (local government units) in Samar Island will make a stand: ‘No to mining in the island of Samar,'” Varquez said, drawing applause from the congregation.

Varquez has repeatedly opposed destructive mining in Eastern Samar, including on Homonhon Island, warning that mining activities threaten communities and natural ecosystems.

He also urged parents to teach children values beyond environmental protection, including respect for elders, concern for the poor and honesty in the workplace.

“A family becomes a blessing when you teach your children, not the mindset on how much one can get, but about how much one can share,” Varquez said.

He said families should become a “school of love” and a “school of faith,” where children learn to serve others rather than measure success by what they can acquire.

“Let’s destroy this mindset in the family,” Varquez said, referring to selfishness and the tendency to measure success by personal gain.