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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Faithful told: 'Keep the faith, trust in God'

Faithful told: 'Keep the faith, trust in God'

Published Aug 30, 2020 09:29 am

Amid the rising cases of mental health problems and suicide, Daet Bishop Rex Andrew Alarcon, chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-Commission on Youth, urged the faithful “to keep the faith and trust in God.”

The pandemic, the Church leader said, has caused many to feel depressed, sad, and feel isolated because of the months-long lockdown. It is important, he stressed, to pray to find hope and inner strength to face the difficult situation.

“Keep the faith. Trust in God. Today’s times make us realize our limitations. It makes us realize that we cannot really survive alone. There are huge and many challenges that we need to face together. Let us trust in God, who gives us the capacity to face adversities so that even in difficult times, we can make a difference,” Alarcon said over Church-run Radio Veritas.

“Aside from the food that we eat, the things that we wear, we should also be mindful of what we keep in our minds and hearts. What do we keep in our mind? Anger, envy, worries. We should have more positive thoughts and nurture a healthy disposition, a healthy realism that while we have hope and faith, we are also realistic that the situation will not change overnight,” Alarcon added.

The National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) said they receive an average of 300 to 400 calls every month since the pandemic started from individuals suffering from various mental health problems.

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