ASIA/PHILIPPINES – The faithful wear white clothes to Mass: against corruption and in prayer for the nation

Manila – Until the Feast of Christ the King on November 23, Filipino Catholics will attend Mass every Sunday dressed in white, following the invitation from the Philippine Episcopal Conference to wear white clothes and display white ribbons in their homes, churches, and public spaces, as a symbol of the renewal of the nation, which suffers from the phenomenon of corruption and has been struck by recent disasters. “It is a symbolic gesture intended to make the faithful aware that each of us is called to do our part in the fight against corruption, starting from the moral and spiritual levels, and to contribute to good governance in society. It is also a sign of heart, conversion, and prayer to the Lord,” explains Father Estaban Lo, Rector of the Minor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz in Manila and National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the Philippines, in an interview with Fides.
“We extend the invitation to the faithful and have placed white ribbons in front of the church. White reminds us of the baptismal garment, the responsibility of all baptized people,” he notes. The circular, which was distributed in all churches and signed by the president of the Episcopal Conference, Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, states that wearing white clothing and ribbons “symbolizes the people’s appeal for transparency, responsibility, and good governance.” The gesture, the text continues, also expresses “a humble prayer that our country, in the mercy of God, may be purified and renewed and spared from further disasters.” “May our white garments be the symbol of the purity we seek for our country and our hearts. May this time of prayer and penance lead us to hope, healing, and the restoration of our common life in truth and justice,” the Philippine bishops write in their appeal. The letter calls on all Catholics to unite “in a common act of penance and prayer” after the country was recently struck by natural disasters such as typhoons, volcanic eruptions, fires, and earthquakes, which have plunged numerous communities into absolute distress.
The letter also recalls the national call to prayer and public repentance, signed on October 6, which exhorts the faithful to pray daily, recite the Rosary, perform acts of penance, and participate in the Eucharist, imploring God’s mercy and the healing of the country.

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