‘Christmas is a feast of courage; resist vulgarity, violence’

Lingayen Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said while Christmas is a feast of joy, it must also be a feast of courage.

This, he said is because Christmas demands that we stand up bravely for the Lord and defend what he taught us.

Villegas said standing up bravely for the Lord means resisting the spread of vulgarity and the contagion of violence.

"Let us resist the culture of abuse with the mercy and tenderness of Christ," he said in his message.

"Christmas teaches us that the killing people who kill people is not human. Killing is the solution offered by jungle justice not by civilized societies. Herod wanted to kill Goodness and Love. We must be like the angel who led the Child and his parents into safety away from murder. In solving problems by killing, we side with Herod not with Christ," added Villegas.

The Lingayen Dagupan prelate said Christmas is also an invitation to return to childlike innocence and resist the erosion of good manners.

"When we hear vulgarity, stand up and proclaim the greater power of the innocence of a child. When we hear children curse, turn them away from the bad examples they see and bring them to the Child in the crib. Vulgarity is contrary to Christmas," he said.

When violent words are thrown at women and indecent gestures are offered to them, Villegas said people should also speak up.

He added: Tolerance is not a virtue. Tolerance of evil makes us accomplices. It is vulgar to laugh at vulgarity!

"Let us stand up against vulgarity with the powerful innocence of the Christ Child. Let us defend human life by siding with Jesus and not applauding Herod. Let us stand up for womanhood best taught us by the purity of the Virgin Mary," he said.

Meanwhile, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle asked pardon from the youth in his Christmas message.

"To the youth, we elders ask pardon if the world we are bequeathing to you is darkened by toxic falsehood, violence, bullying, vices, greed and corruption," he said.

"Please do not swallow or inhale this toxicity. Jesus the Child is with you," added Tagle.

As for his prayer and wish for Filipinos , the whole of humankind, and the young people, His Eminence said it is for us to welcome and live the joy and peace of the Child Jesus, who is God's pure love, tenderness and gentleness.