A Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) official has urged Filipinos to return to the true spirit of “Undas” by focusing on prayer and the call to holiness rather than on secular Halloween traditions that highlight images of “evil, devils, and lost souls.”

In a circular letter titled “Llamados a Ser Santos” (Called to Be Saints), Laoag Bishop Renato P. Mayugba, who chairs the CBCP Office for the Postulation of the Causes of Saints, reminded Catholics that All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day are rooted in the Church’s belief in the “communion of saints.”

“I wish us all to support the right and proper way of celebrating ‘Halloween,’ which is old English for ‘holy evening’ or the vigil for November 1. It is unfortunate that over time, when people have lost an understanding of the original import of the Vespers of All Saints’ Day, that instead of preparing for the celebration of saints, the presentation of evil—devils and lost souls—have been popularized by a very secular society,” he said.

“It is imperative that we recover the origin of the Vespers of All Saints’ Day—an evening, not of ghosts and devils, but an evening of prayer and remembrance of all saints,” he added.

The bishop said the faithful’s visit to cemeteries during Undas should be seen as an act of faith and love for departed loved ones, not merely a cultural obligation.

“On Undas, we troop to our cemeteries to visit the ‘Holy Camp of Saints’ (campo santo) to express our love for our brothers and sisters who have gone ahead of us,” he said.

“We go to pray! We bring candles. These remind us that those we pray for were baptized and have therefore been promised eternal life! The candles are powerful reminders of the victory of Christ over sin and death,” he added.

The bishop also reminded the faithful that from Nov. 1 to 8, the Church grants plenary indulgences for those who visit cemeteries or pray for the dead, calling it a “most praiseworthy work of charity.”

Moreover, Mayugba said all Church members, which include clergy, religious, and lay faithful, are called to live holy lives.

He noted that he wrote the circular “that we may all ground our Undas practices on the beautiful profession of our faith on our universal call to holiness—todos son llamados a ser santos!”

As an example of holiness in action, he explained the Church’s work in promoting local models of faith.

“It is a great source of joy and pride that the CBCP has established a committee, [the] Office of the Postulation of Causes of Saints, to help the dioceses and archdioceses in the Philippines in the tedious but necessary work of examining candidates for beatification and canonization,” he said.

The Philippines has two canonized saints—St. Lorenzo Ruiz and St. Pedro Calungsod—and 22 others under study.

He encouraged Catholics to see holiness in ordinary life, citing Pope Francis’ Gaudete et Exsultate.

“I pray that, sharing this vision of the great and holy pope, we may become truly a more saintly people! May we aspire for sainthood as St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus taught us! May we find joy in our membership in the community of saints!” Mayugba said.