The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has called on the faithful to wear white every Sunday in October and November and to display white ribbons in homes, churches, and public places as a sign of prayer for national renewal amid recent calamities and issues of corruption.
In a circular released Saturday, CBCP president Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David said the color white symbolizes the people’s plea for “transparency, accountability, and good governance.” He added that it also reflects a collective prayer for God’s mercy and cleansing.
“Let our white garments be a symbol of the purity we seek for our land and our hearts. May this season of prayer and repentance lead us to hope, healing, and the restoration of our common life in truth and justice,” David said.
The cardinal encouraged Catholics to unite in penance and prayer following a series of disasters—including typhoons, volcanic eruptions, fires, and earthquakes—that have left many communities devastated.
“For the past few days now we have been experiencing terrible calamities—one after another! Let us beg the Lord’s mercy on our people,” he said.
The call reinforces the bishops’ earlier “National Call to Prayer and Public Repentance,” inviting the faithful to pray every Sunday, and if possible daily, until the Solemnity of Christ the King, accompanied by the tolling of church bells as a sign of national intercession.
