Corruption is rooted in wounds that sin causes, Archbishop tells faithful

By Myrna Bermudo

“We see the struggle between good and evil in our celebrations today. We see its dynamics and tensions. During these days of the Peñafrancia festivities, we see these and feel these in our hearts.”

Caceres Archbishop Rex Andrew Alarcon lamented the social ills that beset our country today. He mentioned that these ills are rooted in sin and like wounds, must be healed.

“Corruption, if not eradicated in the heart of a person and [in] institutions, will weaken and rot the interiority of a person and will erode the foundations of communities and institutions just like how rust slowly eats and destroys metals,“ warned the prelate.

“Sin corrupts,” he added, “[and leads to] personal corruption and institutional corruption.”

“As we celebrate the Peñafrancia fiesta, we come not for the food, the parades and the contests. Rather, we come seeking for redemption. Let us not forget that our celebration has a penitential character.

“Today, we are reminded that the Cross is a symbol of our salvation. Let us ask that we may be healed by the Cross and allow the Lord to heal and save us from the wounds of our selfishness and greed.”

Alarcon delivered his homily on Sunday morning, Sept 14, after the Traslacion, on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross during a mass he presided over at the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral St. John the Evangelist Parish; the third day of novena masses in honor of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, Patroness of Bicol.

On September 6, 2025, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) issued a pastoral letter regarding flood control corruption. “If floodwaters rise because public funds are stolen, the greater flood is corruption itself, drowning our nation’s future. Yet God promises: ‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.’ (Isaiah 43:2),” the statement said.

“Let us rise above the floods of corruption together. Let justice roll down like waters across our land,” the Bishops told the faithful. “Let us rebuild our nation on truth, justice, and the common good.”

The Union of Bicol Clergy opened last Tuesday, Sept 16, with a paraliturgy at the Basilica Minore de Peñafrancia and the Bicol Regional Pastoral Conference General Assembly on synodality at UMA Residences. (Photos by Natalie Hazel Quimlat)