Photo courtesy of CBCP.
Archbishop Gilbert A. Garcera, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, urged Filipinos to carry the spirit of hope into the new year.
“While we have formally closed the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope across many dioceses in the Philippines, the spirit of hope remains,” he said in his New Year’s message.
The CBCP president encouraged the faithful to turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary under her title Odigitria as the nation enters 2026.
He explained that Mary as Odigitria “shows and guides the Way,” citing the Synod Final Document.
Garcera expressed his wish that the Virgin Mary bless “the many expectations held within our hearts with the enduring gift of hope.”
He described devotion to Mary as a source of guidance and spiritual strength for the coming year.