Good Tuesday afternoon, Faith 🛐 chat room!

Salamat din po!

Pope Leo XIV receives Father James Martin, a Jesuit priest known for his LGBTQIA+ ministry, in a private audience on Monday, September 1. 📸 Vatican News

In a newly published article for Outreach, Father Martin wrote:

"The message I received from him, loud and clear, was that he wanted to continue with the same approach that Pope Francis had advanced, which was one of openness and welcome. So, it was very much a hopeful message of continuity. 

"This is, in Pope Leo’s mind, naturally tied to 'synodality,' the idea that the church must listen to people from all walks of life (including LGBTQ people) to become more open, more listening, more welcoming and more inclusive. Again, this is very much in line with Pope Francis’s desires and his famous words 'todos, todos, todos' to describe the church. This is also in line with Leo’s public embrace of synodality, not simply as a Synod delegate, but as a pope whose very first speech after his election mentioned what is now a 'constitutive dimension' of the church."

In other news, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) congratulated Father Flavie Villanueva, a priest who defended Duterte drug war victims, for winning the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award. Read the CBCP's congratulatory message below.

It feels so surreal knowing that even before he was installed Cardinal and Archbishop of Manila, Cardinal Tagle always visited the Shrine of Saint Augustine in Tanza since he was the Bishop of Imus.

Hi everyone! I want to invite you to an online seminar that’s happening this Saturday at 1PM 🥳

The Book of Revelation is a book of prophecy that should fulfill at a time that is appointed by God. What if that time is now? Let us not like be the people at the first coming who weren’t able to believe in the fulfillment because they didn’t understand the meaning of the prophecies! Let’s listen and verify things through the Bible 😇

Event link: https://www.facebook.com/share/1GWfPXWrGw/?mibextid=wwXIfr

On behalf of the WCRC Communications Office in Hannover, greetings,

We are pleased to announce that media accreditation is now open for the 25th General Council of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC), to be held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, from 14 to 23 October 2025. Accreditation is available for both onsite and online participation.

This historic Council, convened under the theme “Persevere in Your Witness” (Hebrews 12:1), will bring together delegates from more than 100 countries, representing 100 million Christians worldwide. It also coincides with the 150th anniversary of the Reformed family’s global witness.

Why This Matters

The General Council is the highest decision-making body of the WCRC, meeting only once every seven years. For the media, it offers stories at the intersection of faith, justice, and global challenges:

Global justice and faith: debates on climate change, inequality, peace, democracy, and gender justice

Global voices: perspectives from communities across Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and the Pacific

Historic witness: commemorations of 150 years of Reformed unity and prophetic action

Cultural immersion: worship, plenaries, and engagement with local communities in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Media Access (Onsite & Online)

Accredited journalists will have access to:

Media conferences

Keynote addresses, plenary sessions, and worship (designated areas)

Interviews upon request with global church leaders and delegates

Online media resources, live streams, and press updates (for remote coverage)

For inquiries, please contact:
Anam Gill
Communications Coordinator
 anam.gill@wcrc.eu |  www.wcrc.eu

We look forward to welcoming accredited media to this landmark Council—onsite in Chiang Mai or online worldwide—as together we mark 150 years of Reformed witness and gather for the 25th General Council of the WCRC.

Good Thursday morning, Faith 🛐 chat room! Hoping all is well!

Sharing with you this reflection by Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, if you haven't read it: https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/reflection-obscene-corruption-government/

Meanwhile in Rome... https://www.rappler.com/world/europe/pope-leo-xiv-signs-bmw-motorcycle-auction-charity/

Welcome, @Julianne Mari !

A first-class relic of Carlo Acutis, who will be declared the first millennial saint on Sunday, September 7, will be brought to the Philippines by the end of the year, according to a Filipino group pushing for devotion to Acutis. | via @Paterno Esmaquel II/Rappler

Thanks for posting this update @Christa Escudero - Rappler !

September 5, 2025

Members of the FEU community marked the First Friday of September and the Memorial of Saint Teresa of Calcutta with the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Holy Mass at the Our Lady of Fatima Chapel, led by Rev. Fr. Arnold Crisostomo. (Photos are inside this google drive: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1oZO-mes2iv6qc0zHPwAqmql02aYfrUIK?usp=sharing) Photo credit: Lharz Dapla

The Provincial Government of Tarlac in partnership with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tarlac successfully inaugurated the Tarlac Province Grand Marian Exhibit, an annual presentation showcasing various Marian images in the province. The exhibit takes the theme "Maria: Pag-asa ng mga Banal" in line with the Jubilee Year of Hope.

Photos by yours truly.

Kung may Pag-asa para sa mga Banal, may Pag-asa ba rin para sa Mahihirap at Middle Class? 🤔

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, in a pastoral letter, denounced the corruption of flood control projects. Read the pastoral letter here.

The National Council of Churches in the Philippines calls for accountability and justice for the “rushing flood of corruption” in government.

It calls for a “truly independent body” that will investigate anomalies in the country’s flood control projects.