Manila (AsiaNews) – In addition to churches, Filipino bishops celebrated Easter this year on YouTube. They inaugurated in fact their own YouTube video blog last week by posting Church teachings and reflections on the essence of Holy Week for the benefit of Filipinos, especially the young, around the world, thus heeding the call of the late Pope John Paul II to make the most of the Internet to spread the Gospel.
“The launching was timed for Holy Week, it being the most appropriate time to issue short catechesis on the liturgical significance of the celebrations that have been most misunderstood,” said Mgr. Pedro Quitorio III, spokesperson for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and director of its Media Office.
The first CBCP video blogs feature Quitorio in a Holy Week series where he discusses various Easter traditions, such as the Washing of the Feet, Visits to Churches and the Veneration of the Cross.
The “CBCP’s YouTube account is intended for the young faithful today who are more inclined to listen to the latest technology rather than the age-old-sermon,” he said. “It seemed a good way to reach our target audience.”
As of April 8, Easter Sunday, the CBCP has posted nine video blogs, the latest of which is the Easter Vigil ceremony, including the homily by Manila Archbishop Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales.
Their video blog is here.
2 comments
Cardinal Rosales is an excellent homilist. He usually manages to expound on an oft-ignored or unknown facet of the feast being celebrated. So far, I’ve never been tempted to shout “heretic!!!” when I listen to his homilies. It’s like having a local version of PBXVI.
I think there are a lot of Filipinos who live in other parts of the world; how wonderful that their spiritual father at home has not forgotten them!