LILOAN, Cebu — Archbishop Alberto Uy of Cebu has warned of a moral crisis marked by weak values formation, saying people need more than information to make sound moral decisions.
“We see a lot of people who are not lacking in information but very much lacking in value formation,” Uy told Radyo Veritas on Oct. 19.
Uy made the remarks on the sidelines of the second National Spiritual Direction Conference of CHARIS Philippines in Liloan, which gathered about 160 spiritual directors and lay leaders.
As national spiritual adviser of CHARIS Philippines, Uy urged spiritual directors to deepen their own spiritual lives and help the faithful discern God’s will without becoming dependent on their mentors.
“Their function is not only to give spiritual guidance but also the formation of the consciences of people,” he said.
In his homily, Uy warned that spiritual directors risk neglecting their own relationship with God when they focus too much on guiding others.
“We can become very good at directing other people’s spiritual lives while neglecting our own,” he said.
He stressed that spiritual directors should help people recognize God’s voice rather than take its place.
“We do not take the place of God’s voice. We help people recognize His voice,” Uy said.
The archbishop also expressed hope that vibrant charismatic communities would encourage young people to consider the priesthood and religious life.
“We are praying that from our small charismatic communities, there can be vocations to the priesthood and to religious life,” he said.
The three-day conference, themed “Spirit-Filled Spiritual Direction: Listening, Discerning, and Accompanying in a Synodal Church,” focused on strengthening the spiritual and pastoral formation of those accompanying Catholic Charismatic Renewal communities.
