Catholics should resist hatred, hostility amid Middle East war, Advincula urges in Easter message

Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula on Sunday said the Easter Season urges Catholics to resist hatred and hostility amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

“The Resurrection of Jesus is the most subversive and revolutionary message of Christianity. It is a call to resistance — to push back against the forces that ruthlessly seek to bury our joy and our future,” Advincula said in his Easter message.

“Easter is a nonviolent battle against hatred and hostility. Easter is a summons to all peoples to reject the "globalization of indifference" and the normalization of genocide,” he added.

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East began on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes against Iran, triggering retaliation from Iranian forces.

The war has resulted in over 3,000 deaths within a month and consecutive oil price hikes around the globe, as the conflict disrupted the shipment of petroleum products passing through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most crucial oil export routes.

Advincula urged government officials to ensure accountability in addressing the suffering of those affected by the conflict.

“[L]et us not romanticize Easter. Let us not diminish the Resurrection of the Lord to mere sentimentality and routine greetings. Let us not reduce our "Salubong" to a lovely and arming tradition that fails to challenge our cynicism and apathy,” the prelate said.

“With my brother bishops, I appeal for accountability, for the relentless pursuit of justice in public governance, and for more urgent action to alleviate the agony of our people,” he added.

Engage in love to dispel darkness

During the Easter Vigil Mass on Saturday, Cardinal Orlando Quevedo, archbishop emeritus of Cotabato, said humanity is currently facing darkness in the form of rising prices, the oil crisis, rampant corruption, and the suffering of the poor.

But the faithful can overcome this darkness by engaging in love and service.

“Love one another. Serve one another. And not only love and serve within your family and your friends, or your community, but especially the poor and the needy,” Quevedo said during his homily at the Manila Cathedral.

Lasting for 50 days, the Easter Season in the Catholic Church culminates on Pentecost Sunday.

READ: How dates for Easter Sunday and Holy Week are determined each year

It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and is often considered the birth of the Catholic Church.

This year, Pentecost Sunday will be on May 24. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA News