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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider CBCP issues special prayer for nation's enlightenment, renewal

CBCP issues special prayer for nation's enlightenment, renewal

Published May 22, 2026 06:51 pm

At A Glance

  • The prayer, with translations in English, Tagalog, Bicolano, Binisaya, Ilocano, Hiligaynon and Cebuano, will be recited through at least July.
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The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has approved a special national prayer beginning Pentecost Sunday, May 31, as it calls for enlightenment, conversion and renewal amid a nation that “stands at a difficult crossroads.”
The prayer was approved during the CBCP Permanent Council meeting on May 20, according to the CBCP General Secretariat.
The CBCP Permanent Council said the prayer, with translations in Tagalog, Bicolano, Binisaya, Ilocano, Hiligaynon and Cebuano, will be recited through at least July.
Below is the English version of “A Nation’s Prayer for Enlightenment, Conversion and Renewal.”
Loving Father, God of truth and justice, You sent Your Only Son, Jesus Christ, who by His Paschal Mystery revealed Your mercy and reconciled us to You and the world.
We come before You seeking healing, righteousness, and renewal for our land.
Our nation stands at a difficult crossroads.
We see truth being cast aside, justice delayed, and division weakening the fiber of our society.
We pray for those entrusted with leadership.
Call them back to the sacred duty of their office.
May they serve with honesty, justice, and compassion.
Grant them wisdom to act with discernment,
strength to persevere with integrity, and humility to seek not revenge, but righteousness; not personal ambition, but the common good.
Forgive us for closing our eyes to what is right, for accepting excuses in place of accountability, and for allowing despair and division to weaken our hope for our people.
We confess the many times we remained silent in the face of wrongdoing, when we chose convenience over conscience, fear over courage, and apathy over responsibility.
O Holy Spirit, renew our hearts and enlighten our minds.
Turn us from indifference to compassion, from silence to faithful action,
from division to unity, and from despair to hope.
Teach us to defend truth with charity, to pursue justice with mercy, and to become instruments of peace and reconciliation.
Shine Your light upon our nation.
Heal what is broken, restore what is wounded, and raise up a people who will not trade truth for comfort, nor surrender goodness to fear.
May this become a sacred time of conversion and renewal for our country, so that we may truly become one nation living in faith, hope, and love under Your Fatherly care.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.
Holy Mary, Mother of the Filipino people and Queen of Peace, guide and intercede for us always.
San Lorenzo Ruiz and San Pedro Calungsod, pray for us.
St. Michael the Archangel, pray for us.

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CBCP SPECIAL PRAYER CATHOLIC BISHOPS CONFERENCE OF THE PHILIPPINES
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