Last Monday, June 22, 2026, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) released a pastoral statement announcing the fourth White Ribbon March, which was held this Sunday, June 28, at the EDSA Shrine.
The bishops' statement highlights the non-partisan character of the gathering. It presents the march as an expression of social conscience rather than support for any specific political candidate, party, or ideology.
The march aims to reflect a faith-based and non-partisan call for truth, accountability, justice, and righteousness in public life.
The bishops emphasize how the march seeks to bear peaceful and public witness to the Church’s call for truth, accountability, justice, and righteousness, particularly as Congress and the Senate investigate reports of mishandled government funds.
Corruption has long plagued Philippine public life. According to Amnesty International's 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index, where zero represents a highly corrupt public sector and 100 a very clean one, the Philippines received a low score of 32 out of 100.
The Catholic Church in the Philippines has long been a prophetic voice against corruption. That witness reached a historic climax in 1986, when Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin called on Filipinos to gather peacefully at EDSA in defense of democracy after two decades of authoritarian rule marked by widespread cronyism. Nearly two million people answered the call. Their peaceful witness helped bring about the restoration of democracy. But we are still a long way off from defeating public corruption.
A just society is born on the altar
Since the march took place on a Sunday, the statement reminds the faithful that the true source of renewal and strength is Jesus, truly present in the Eucharist:
Above all, let us remember that the true source of our strength is the Lord present in the Eucharist. Do not forget to participate in the celebration of the Holy Mass on Sunday, June 28. The power of the Eucharist renews hearts and transforms lives, enabling us to become instruments of justice, reconciliation, and hope.
The letter emphasizes that the justice we seek is first received from God through prayer, above all in the celebration of the Holy Mass. It cautioned the faithful not to participate in the march at the expense of their Sunday obligation, reminding them that authentic social renewal begins with worship.
The statement also echoes our Lord’s words in the Gospel of Matthew: "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." Our longing for an honest and just society cannot be sustained by human effort alone. It needs to be nourished by God's presence in his Word and, above all, through receiving his Body in the Eucharist.
The Eucharist transforms earth into a piece of heaven
As Pope Leo reminds us in his recent encyclical, our primary task as believers is to build a society rooted in the common good and the dignity of every person. We’re called to build a community in which each person can flourish according to God's design.
The Eucharist is the foundation of this project, for it transforms us before it transforms the world.
This is the profound insight of St. Carlo Acutis:
"The more Eucharist we receive, the more we will become like Jesus, so that on earth we will have a foretaste of heaven."
If the Eucharist gives us a foretaste of heaven, it serves as a compass, guiding us to discern what we need to do to create a society that reflects heaven more faithfully. The Eucharist also gives us the strength to stand by truth and justice when doing so requires sacrifice and moral courage.
Every worthy reception of Holy Communion transforms us into instruments of justice, charity, and hope. A just society, therefore, is not first built in legislatures or public squares. It begins on the altar.
