THE Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) urged the faithful to refrain from using social media as a form of sacrifice or fasting, as the Lenten Season starts this week.
“Fasting has traditionally meant abstaining from food as an act of repentance and spiritual focus. Yet fasting also means detaching from whatever distracts our hearts from God,” CBCP News quoted CBCP president Archbishop Gilbert Garcera as saying in a pastoral letter on Monday (Feb. 16).
“In our present time, fasting must also address the new realities shaping human life. One of the greatest influences today is digital media. Thus, we invite the faithful to undertake a digital media fasting as a contemporary expression of conversion and renewal,” the Catholic prelate added.
The CBCP advised the faithful to avoid phone use before bed and upon waking, limit social media and streaming, and observe device-free meals and gatherings.
It also encouraged occasional 24-hour or weekend digital fasts, removing distracting apps, and replacing screen time with prayer, service, reading, or conversation.
Garcera said digital fasting helps redirect people “from self-centered habits to the loving service of others.”
“By limiting digital consumption, we create time for prayer, reading Scriptures, Eucharistic devotion, works of mercy, and meaningful encounters with others. It is not deprivation but transformation,” he said.
Lent begins on Feb. 18, Ash Wednesday, a 40-day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving for Roman Catholics. (Ferdinand Patinio/Philippine News Agency)
