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Evelyn Macairan - The Philippine Star
February 20, 2026 | 12:00am
Cardinal Angelo de Donatis sprinkles ashes on the forehead of Pope Leo during the Ash Wednesday mass at the Santa Sabina Basilica in Rome, Italy.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE VATICAN
VATICAN CITY – Pope Leo lamented a world “in flames” due to wars and destruction of the environment during an Ash Wednesday mass, opening the season of Lent.
Before sprinkling ashes on the heads of the faithful – a sign of mortality – the pope said the ashes could represent “the weight of a world that is ablaze, of entire cities destroyed by war.”
He told participants the ashes could signify “the ashes of international law and justice among peoples (and) the ashes of entire ecosystems.”
“It is so easy to feel powerless in the face of a world that is in flames,” said Leo, the first US pope.
Spiritual decay
Bishop Raul Dael of Tandag, Surigao del Sur has reminded members of the House of Representatives to fight corruption as it is a form of “spiritual decay.”
In his Ash Wednesday homily at the House, Dael stressed that “corruption is not only illegal; it is a spiritual decay, a sin against God.”
“It (hurts) the poor first. It steals from classrooms, from hospitals, from social services, from communities waiting for relief,” he said.
