Church Leaders Call for Integrity and Compassion in Public Service

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle delivered a powerful message to public officials during a Mass at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Malate, Manila, on September 21, 2025, reminding them that they serve as stewards, not owners, of the nation’s wealth. He called for honesty and accountability in managing public resources, underscoring that God, the true owner, will one day require an account of how entrusted assets were used.

"To our leaders: You are not the owners of the nation’s wealth. You are stewards," Tagle stated. "And God, who is the true owner, will ask you one day: How did you use what was entrusted to you?"

The former Archbishop of Manila highlighted trustworthiness as a defining trait of stewardship, contrasting it with the behavior of thieves. He echoed a broader call from the Catholic bishops for an "examination of conscience," applying both to government officials and citizens. He emphasized the need for cultural renewal and transformation in the collective mindset toward responsibility and integrity.

"The invitation is for everyone to reflect — of course, especially our leaders, but not only them. All of us," said Tagle, who also serves as pro-prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization.

He encouraged prayers to seek enduring values, urging both leaders and ordinary citizens to invest their skills and wisdom toward the common good.

"We pray for our leaders, we pray for our people, so that our lives may be peaceful," the cardinal said. "Let us turn to God, the true owner of our lives."

Meanwhile, in Cebu, Papal Nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown addressed the faithful during Mass on the eve of Danao City’s fiesta at Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Parish Church, denouncing corruption as a "plague" and expressing optimism that public demonstrations would spark a cultural shift toward transparency and justice.

"We hope that today will be a moment in which [the] nation begins to change, in which we set a new course away from corruption, towards more transparency and more fairness," Brown said.

The Vatican envoy called on the community to prioritize compassion for the poor, framing it as a Christian duty with eternal significance. He painted a vivid picture of the gates of heaven, where those who aided the marginalized will receive divine welcome.

"When we come to the end of our lives, the poor people that we have helped will help us… they will help us enter into the Kingdom of heaven," Archbishop Brown affirmed.

Together, these church leaders reinforced the message that stewardship, accountability, and empathy are essential to fostering social justice and national progress.