RP bishop turns to YouTube to share Lenten reflections

The former president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has tapped the popular video-sharing site YouTube to share Lenten reflections to the Catholic faithful this season, the CBCP announced on Thursday. Running for nine minutes each, videos of Archbishop Angel Lagdameo of Jaro, Iloilo, included his reflections on traditional Church activities during Holy Thursday’s Washing of the Feet, Crucifixion and death of Christ on Good Friday and some reflections on the essence of the traditional Visita Iglesia. CBCP media director Msgr. Pedro Quitorio said the CBCP is tapping the site for online reflections to reach those who cannot go to churches this Holy Week, especially the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). Philippine Catholic bishops started joining the online community in sharing Church teachings in April 2007 “in order to minister to the flock, especially the youth," the CBCP said in a statement. The first CBCP video featured Quitorio in a Holy Week series discussing the Catholic Lenten tradition. Aside from these, other CBCP videos tackle issues such as the environment, gambling, politics, and social justice. Quitorio said online reflections were important in teaching the significance of the Catholic Church’s celebrations such as the Holy Week, which he said had been “most misunderstood." The Vatican has started the online evangelization efforts, with Pope Benedict XVI launching his own channel on YouTube “to secure his presence even on the web and reach out to the digital generation." Other contents of the CBCP’s YouTube account include reflections on the environment, gambling, politics, social justice and other social issues. - LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV