Manila, Philippines, Jan 9, 2019 / 10:42 am
Cardinal Luis Tagle of Manila told pilgrims at a popular annual procession in the Philippines to take caution against becoming "fanatics," stressing that true devotion is about how one lives one's whole life, not a single day.
"A fanatic does not love," the cardinal told thousands gathered at midnight Mass on Wednesday. "Fanatics hold on to who gives importance to them. But a devotee ... is devoted because of love, and that is what Jesus showed us."
"Devotion is a daily act.... In every kind of love, loyalty, and union, it must be daily," he said, according to UCA News.
The cardinal gave a homily at a Mass to kick off the annual Black Nazarene procession. Known as the traslacion, the 19-hour procession through the streets of Manila takes place each year on Jan. 9. Millions of pilgrims take part in the 7-kilometer procession; this year's crowds were expected to top 5 million.