The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has called on the faithful to join a National Day of Prayer and Public Repentance in light of the calamities and corruption that continue to plague the nation.
In a letter to dioceses, CBCP president and Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David announced that the observance will be launched on Tuesday, Oct. 7, coinciding with the Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary.
‘In the spirit of the prophetic exhortation of Baruch, which is a prayer of national confession and contrition, and in the context of the calamities that continue to afflict our land, we call for a National Day of Prayer and Public Repentance to be launched on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025, Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary,’ David said.
Prayers will be held in all parish churches, chapels and homes starting Tuesday and every succeeding Sunday leading up to the Feast of Christ the King on Nov. 23, as part of a sustained supplication for mercy and renewal.
‘This act of national contrition is also a step in our journey of synodality – walking together as God’s people, listening to the Spirit and to one another, in humility and hope,’ he said. ‘As we mark this pilgrimage year of hope, we cling to the promise of the Apostle Paul: ‘Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.”
David urged the faithful to pray ‘with contrite hearts and steadfast trust, through the intercession of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary,’ for national healing and renewal.
The CBCP also released the official prayer titled ‘A National Cry for Mercy and Renewal,’ which implores God to hear the voices of the people ‘as we walk in the valley of darkness.’
It likens the Filipino people to ‘a stray sheep that has fallen from the cliff, clinging desperately to a brittle branch, crying out for rescue.’