As dawn broke across the Philippines on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jose Advincula delivered a poignant message to the nation's faithful, urging a move away from division and toward a more welcoming spirit as the traditional Christmas novena began.
A Call for Wider Hearts at the Dawn Mass
Speaking during his homily at the historic Manila Cathedral for the first day of the Misa de Gallo, Cardinal Advincula framed the nine-day prayer period as a prime opportunity for personal and communal transformation. He explicitly called on Filipino Catholics to use this time to reflect on cultivating a mentality of radical hospitality.
"As we begin these nine days of prayer, let us ask the Lord to widen our hearts," the Cardinal prayed. "Let us become a Church that welcomes rather than excludes, that listens rather than judges, that reflects the mercy of Christ." He grounded this appeal in the foundational teachings of Jesus, emphasizing that God's house is open to all without exception.
Lamenting the 'Kanya-Kanya' Culture
The prelate did not shy away from critiquing a prevalent social attitude he sees as corrosive. He lamented the widespread "kanya kanya" (to each his own) mentality that he observed infiltrating Filipino families, workplaces, and even parish communities.
"We often choose whom we will accept. We listen only to voices that agree with us. We welcome only those who make us comfortable," Advincula stated. "When people are difficult, different, or inconvenient, we turn away. We develop a 'kanya-kanya' mentality. In families, in workplaces, even in parishes, we draw lines that separate instead of unite."
This culture of selectivity and judgment, he warned, has direct and damaging consequences for the life of the Church.
The Consequence: An Emptying Church
Cardinal Advincula connected this exclusionary behavior to a troubling trend: Filipinos stopping their attendance at church. He noted that some stay away because they perceive the Church as an institution only for the morally perfect, while others feel harshly judged by their fellow Mass-goers.
"This should disturb us," the Cardinal emphasized, highlighting the urgency of his call for change. His message served as a direct challenge to the faithful to examine their own attitudes and actions.
The Cardinal's homily resonated with thousands who flocked to churches nationwide for the start of the beloved nine-day dawn masses, a deep-rooted Filipino Christmas tradition marking the spiritual journey toward the Nativity of Christ.
