Filipino Bishops Promote Interfaith Naturalism During Lent

The EWTN news portal reports that two Filipino bishops—Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo and Archbishop Alberto Uy—have issued statements calling for greater Muslim-Christian solidarity and peace as Lent and Ramadan begin nearly simultaneously in February 2026. Bagaforo, chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ (CBCP) Episcopal Commission on Interreligious Dialogue, described the shared timing as “a grace” that invites people to “slow down, to return to God, and to walk together in faith.” Uy, installed as archbishop of Cebu in September 2025, emphasized common humanity across religious lines, stating: “No matter what religion we are… we all share one basic truth: We are all brothers and sisters in our humanity.” Both prelates framed interfaith cooperation as a means to build peace, protect human dignity, and respond to conflict with understanding, while acknowledging the Philippines’ history of religious tension between the Christian majority and Muslim minority. The article notes that Muslims comprise an estimated 6–11% of the population, with most living in Mindanao, where decades of conflict have shifted from armed struggle to negotiation, culminating in the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. A statement from the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos echoed the theme of patience and compassion during the sacred seasons. The bishops’ messages contain no reference to the exclusive salvific role of the Catholic Church, the necessity of converting non-Catholics, or the social reign of Christ the King over all nations.