TRUE FRIENDSHIP must lead the faithful to holiness rather than the commission of sin and tolerance of wrongdoings, Balanga Bishop Rufino Sescon Jr., O.P., said in a Mass during the Philippine Conference on New Evangelization (PCNE) All-Youth program on Sunday, July 26 at the Quadricentennial Pavilion.
In his homily, Sescon urged the youth to take after Christ’s view of friendship, who first befriended His disciples before calling them to mission.
“Jesus did not begin with lectures and seminars. Before He sent the apostles, He first befriended them. He ate and walked with them, listened to them, corrected them, forgave them, and loved them. He became their sangkáy,” Sescon said.
Inspired by the conference’s theme, the Balanga bishop said friendship rooted in the teachings of Christ must go beyond companionship, which is made possible by leading others to God.
He warned against equating friendship with unquestioning loyalty, stressing that a friend who defends another despite wrongdoing defies the very meaning of friendship.
“Kahit mali ka na, kampi pa rin sa’yo. Pinagtatanggol ka pa rin. Pinagtatakpan ka pa rin. That is not true Christian friendship,” he said.
“A true friend is one who lovingly challenges us to holiness, to truth, to goodness. A true friend is an instrument of grace,” he added.
In an interview with the Varsitarian, Sescon said friendship with Jesus should serve as the foundation of every human relationship, helping purify personal loyalties rooted in family, friendships or shared backgrounds.
“We place premium and we value relationships—sa pamilya, sa pagkakaibigan, sa pagiging kababayan. Pero nakakalimutan natin may mas mahalaga at mas malalim na puwedeng maging source of our commonality, at ‘yon ay ang ating faith,” he said.
‘Friendship is not gossip’
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle opened the day’s plenary session by stressing that authentic friendship is rooted in sharing one’s experience of God.
If such a relationship is drawn from sharing gossip, lies and other harmful content that undermine trust, it falls short to true friendship.
“If you receive gossip, bias, lies, violent and destructive content, the one who sent you that is not a friend,” he told young Catholics.
He urged young people to become friends who build others up through truth and love, saying Christian friendship requires self-giving as exemplified by Christ himself.
Tagle, pro-prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization, urged Church workers to accompany the youth with patience and compassion, recalling how some young people perceive the Church as unwelcoming because of overly critical attitudes.
The PCNE Secretariat reported a total attendance of 5,682 over the three-day conference, including 1,703 participants in its inaugural All-Youth program. Bruce L. Buenaventura with reports from Vince Alfred M. Pillagara
