SW News: The clergy of the Archdiocese of Manila led a Penitential Walk on February 17 as an act of sacrifice for the sake of the people of the Philippines. The priests walked from Manila Cathedral to the Archdiocesan Shrine of Nuestra Señora de Guia in Ermita.

The event started with a Holy Mass celebrated by Cardinal Jose Advincula at the Manila Cathedral and made a stop at GomBurZa memorial marker in Luneta en route. According to CBCP News, in his homily, the cardinal said, “We humble ourselves and pray in the hope that God will hear from heaven, forgive our sins and heal our broken land.”

On February 17, the Filipino people commemorated the 150th anniversary of the martyrdom of Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, who were falsely accused of treason and executed by the Spanish colonial government in the 19th century. The killing of these diocesan priests awakened the spirit of nationalism and ultimately led to the independence of the country.


“As priests and religious, we preach nothing else but the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Good News of the Kingdom of God, a kingdom that prizes communion, truth, justice, and peace… it is the duty of every Christian to take part in building and renewing the nation, giving the best of ourselves in the service of the common good,” said the statement released by the clergy of the archdiocese.


Several priests from Manila’s suffragan dioceses and religious men belonging to various congregations walked to the Shrine of Nuestra Señora de Guia. The clergy particularly prayed for citizens getting ready to cast their votes in the upcoming elections in May, that they may discern well and choose leaders who “embody and promote the values of the Kingdom of God.”