Speaking at the 12th Philippine Conference on the New Evangelization, two cardinals emphasized the importance of friendship in the Christian life.
“We should not discount the role of friendship in making the face of Jesus, the face of the Church, real to people,” Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, one of the two pro-prefects of the Dicastery for Evangelization, said on July 24, during a public discussion. “What brought us together here is our common friendship with the Lord, who was the first to consider us His friends.”
“Mary reminds us that, in true friendship, love never forces but simply accompanies,” Cardinal José Advincula of Manila preached at the conference’s opening Mass.
“Jesus has called us to be His friends, not His slaves,” he added. “We are friends who share in His mission.”