Pope Francis’ representative to the Philippines said truthfulness is key to peace and harmony, urging the faithful to avoid telling lies.
Presiding over the third day of the Novena Mass at Quiapo Church in honor of the Black Nazarene on Thursday, Archbishop Charles Brown told devotees, “By loving the truth, we love Jesus.”
“As Catholics, as devotees of Jesus Nazareno, we need to be on guard against lies. The devil is the ‘father of lies’, and ‘Jesus is the truth,’” Brown said in his homily.
He added, “That means we shouldn’t tell lies. When we tell lies, when we say things that aren’t true, we are not following Jesus Nazareno; we are following the ‘father of lies.’”
The archbishop warned that telling lies is incompatible with following Jesus.
He emphasized that loving the truth is not only a moral obligation but also essential for fostering good relationships in communities.
“Whether private citizens or government officials, all people must love the truth sincerely,” he said. “If we love the truth, we love Jesus. And when we love the truth, we will obtain that peace and harmony.”
Brown also called on the faithful to base prosperity and good relationships on truth, adding, “If we want prosperity, if we want good relationships with each other, we need to base that on truth.”
After the liturgy, the papal nuncio led the traditional blessing of replicas of Jesus Nazareno, one of the major activities leading up to the feast of the Black Nazarene on Jan. 9, which usually draws millions of devotees.
