CBCP head urges Asia’s catechists to be agents of hope, not just teachers

February 16, 2026 – 10:10 AM

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The head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines on Wednesday urged Asia’s catechists to move beyond classroom instruction and become agents of consolation and hope for communities affected by poverty, conflict, and marginalization.

Speaking at the opening Mass of the Meeting of Catechetical Leaders in the Episcopal Conferences of Asia at De La Salle University chapel, Archbishop Gilbert Garcera of Lipa said catechists must respond to the realities of Asia’s diverse societies.

“(Catechesis) must offer not only instruction, but encounter; not only teaching, but healing and hope,” Garcera said in his homily, citing the Church’s role as a mother called to “nurture faith, heal wounds and sustain hope.”

He stressed that much of the catechetical work happens quietly in under-resourced classrooms, remote parishes, and struggling families, yet every act of faithfulness is recognized by God.

“No act of faithfulness is ever forgotten by God,” Garcera said.

Drawing on biblical imagery, he highlighted Mary at the wedding feast of Cana as a model catechist who notices need and leads others to Christ.

“Mary does not replace Christ; she leads to Him. She does not offer her own solution; she trusts in His hour,” he said.

The gathering focused on implementing Vatican guidelines that formally recognize catechists as a stable ministry and encourage communion among Asian churches amid migration and social change.

“Dear catechists of Asia, this is your mission: not simply to explain the faith, not merely to preserve tradition,” Garcera said. “(It is) to help people taste the new wine of Christ—a faith that is living, joyful, and transformative.”

The Mass was presided over by Cardinal Jose Advincula of Manila, along with some other bishops including Bishop Daniel Presto of San Fernando de la Union, chairman of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Evangelization and Catechesis.