Cardinal Luís Antonio G. Tagle
Cardinal Luís Antonio G. Tagle, the Archbishop of Manila, urged the faithful to ensure the solemnity of Santacruzan, a Philippine Catholic tradition celebrated in May.
Santacruzan is the pageant held in honour of Queen Helena of Constantinople (known as Reyna Elena) and Constantine the Greaton the last day of Flores de Mayo, Marian devotions in May. These days the processions increasingly conjure up images of glitz and glamor.
In a recent interview over Church-run Radio Veritas, Cardinal Tagle stressed this should not be the case, and called on would-be participants and spectators to focus on what the event really is about: the Holy Cross.
According to Cardinal Tagle, Santacruzan is a delightful custom, which tells the story of how Queen Helena, the mother of Eastern Roman Emperor Constantine, was able to find the Cross on which Christ was crucified, during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
“That is the reason why the Santacruzan procession has characters in costumes named Reyna Elena and Constantino,” the prelate added.
Cardinal Tagle urged the faithful to ensure the solemnity of this otherwise wholesome and commendable Catholic tradition by not allowing it to devolve into what he called a mere “fashion show” stripped of its religious and historical significance, and to recapture its Cross-centered message.
“It is not a fashion show. It invites us to reflect on the Cross, and how through it, Jesus Christ made our salvation possible,” he explained.
Source: CBCP News
