OFFICIALS of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Thursday encouraged the faithful to introduce the “March of Saints,” instead of “Trick or Treat,” to children.
CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Social Communications and Mass Media Chairman Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara echoed the call of Lipa Archbishop Ramon C. Arguelles who called on priests, religious, Catholic school heads and parish leaders in his archdiocese to start “re-Christianizing” Halloween through activities that give special attention to the lives of the saints.
“Alam po natin yung tinatawag natin na ‘trick o treat’ I Halooween at pinaparada natin ’yung mga nakamaskara, ’yung mga multo, mga hitsurang nakakatakot. Hamon na nga ng Simbahan sana ang iparada natin ay mga santo at santa,” Vergara said.
Internet literature notes that Halloween, which means “hallowed”–or holy–evening, is of Christian origin dating back to 1745.
For his part, Arguelles, in a circular issued on October 12, stated that parishes should introduce in our parishes and our communities the correct commemoration of the saints and the holy souls during our November celebration of the Church’s triumphs and sufferings.”
According to Arguelles, November 1 and 2 “are traditionally important dates in the Church calendar during which Catholics worldwide take time to pray for the souls of the departed and to commemorate the Communion of Saints.”
In the same letter, the archbishop expresses concern that the originally wholesome observance of Halloween (“All Hallow’s Even”), the evening immediately preceding All Saints’ Day, appears to have lost its religious character due to various outside influences.
“Unfortunately, secular, consumerist and pagan practices have also seeped into what is sacred and spiritual in our religious observances,” he notes, referring to American-style Halloween that emphasizes the macabre and seems to border on the demonic.
In line with this, Arguelles appeals to all ordained and unordained ministers of the Lipa See to join him in recapturing the true meaning of the liturgical event.
“May I endorse the proposal of the Prayer Warriors of the Holy Souls to make the Halloween celebrations more focused on the proclamation of saintly life stories,” the prelate added.