Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle appealed to Filipinos to show greater concern for the poor, saying there is “no excuse” for ignoring those in need.
Speaking at Mass for the ninth World Day of the Poor at the Pontificio Collegio Filippino in Rome on Sunday, Tagle reminded the faithful that the observance calls everyone “to be mindful of our brothers and sisters in need.”
“We all came to this world with nothing. We’re all naked. All pretensions that ‘I’m higher, I’m richer’ are temptations,” said Tagle, who serves as pro-prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization.
He emphasized that neither wealth nor social status should prevent people from recognizing Christ in the marginalized or sharing solidarity with those living in poverty.
“There’s no excuse for the lack of communion with everyone because in the end all of us are made of dust. We are all poor. We all depend on God’s providence,” he added.
Later in the day, Pope Leo XIV led a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica to mark the Jubilee of the Poor, attended by about 6,000 pilgrims. In his homily, the pope urged world leaders to heed the cries of the most vulnerable and exercise justice and compassion in public service.
“There can be no peace without justice,” he said, noting that unchecked migration and widespread suffering expose a “myth of progress” that leaves many behind.
He also thanked charity workers and volunteers, praising them as living witnesses of the Church’s faith and solidarity.
