Filipino Cardinal urges sincerity in charity and fasting

Mar 14, 2025

By Mark Saludes
Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), warned against hypocrisy in faith and public service, cautioning that acts of charity and devotion lose their meaning when done “in an obvious way just to boast.”

In his Ash Wednesday homily on March 5, the Kalookan bishop called on Catholics to embrace genuine charity, holiness, and penance, rather than using them as a means for self-promotion or public recognition.

“When the true intention behind doing good is to draw attention to oneself, it has nothing to do with God,” Cardinal David said. 

“There is a difference between doing good deeds in front of others, which may be captured unknowingly in a video and shared, inspiring many people, and doing good deeds in an obvious way just to boast: ‘Look how good I am!’ or ‘Look how holy I am!’” he added.

He warned against the Filipino trait of pakitang-tao, or performative goodness, which he described as pretense and deception.

“We might deceive others, but can we deceive God, who sees what is hidden deep in our hearts?” he asked, citing the Gospel reading from Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18. “We’ve heard it several times in the Gospel today: ‘The God who sees what is hidden will reward you.’”

Cardinal David particularly called out the misuse of charity for personal or political advantage, saying that giving is only meaningful when it is done without expecting something in return.

“Not all gifts are truly gifts, right? Some are simply bribes, with something expected in return,” he said. “Some ‘help’ isn’t really help—it’s a form of manipulation or an exchange, like buying votes with ‘aid.’”

The prelate criticized the use of both personal and public funds as political tools.

“It is wrong even when personal money is used to buy votes. What is worse is when public funds, which come from the taxes of the people, are used as personal funds,” he said. “You do not call it charity when the objective is to exploit the desperation of the poor. What will the nation gain if we put such people in power?”

Beyond material generosity, the CBCP president also emphasized that true holiness comes from sincerity and compassion, not from external displays of religiosity.

Cardinal David also addressed the meaning of fasting, warning against reducing it to mere dietary restrictions rather than a genuine act of spiritual renewal.

“How can you call it fasting if you order lobster or seabass in an expensive restaurant in place of meat?” he asked. “Let us not call it a Lenten fasting if the intention is just to lose weight or become sexier.”

As millions of Filipino Catholics received ashes to mark the beginning of Lent, the CBCP president called on them to reflect on their true motives in practicing their faith.

“Training ourselves in unseen penance, holiness, and charity—this is the true purpose of the Lenten season,” he said.--licas.news