Bishop: Avoid Halloween costumes symbolic of devil

A bishop said wearing costumes during Halloween celebrations was okay but he urged Catholics to avoid garb and accessories symbolic of the devil. Monsignor Pedro Quitorio, media director of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said “May mga gumagamit ng mga sungay na nakakatakot. We are not glorifying the saints actually this is a glorification of Satan himself." “Wala naman problema kahit mag-costume basta huwag glorify evil," said Quitorio. He expressed concern that the youth might imbibe wrong values by wearing these kinds of costumes. “Nakakatakot ‘yun na turo sa mga bata na ang gamit symbol Satanas Nakakatakot yun kasi yung subliminal message nun napakalalim na parang Satanas na ako," Quitorio said. Dignity of deceased persons Earlier, in an interview over radio Veritas, Bishop Broderick Pabillo, Auxiliary Bishop of Manila said the practice of celebrating Halloween or "All Hallows' Eve" (eve of All Saints Day) with scary costumes was inappropriate. He said it was wrong to depict deceased people as scary creatures. Catholics should uphold the dignity of deceased persons, he said. All Saints' Day, November 1, is a Catholic feast for honoring all saints, both the known and the unknown. On the other hand, All Souls' Day, November 2, is the day designated by the Catholic Church for remembering the dead. - VVP, GMA News