Faithful told: Fake news, AI 'shaking' us

"Being shaken should not terrify us."

This was the message of Cardinal Jose Advincula to Filipino Catholics on Easter Sunday, 20 April.

As the truth becomes indiscernible due to the proliferation of fake news and artificial intelligence (AI), Advincunla reminded the faithful to not be afraid of being shaken.

"It is easy for us to get lost and feel defeated. But we have to remember that when Christ died on the cross, the earth shook and the rocks were split," the cardinal said.

"When He rose from the dead, there was a great earthquake and an angel descended from heaven to roll back the stone," he added.

Advincula emphasized that "being a 'community of the shaken' can lead us to become a 'community of synodality and solidarity.'"

"We do not give in to panic or rage. We journey together with courage and patience. We stand firmly on our anchor and strong foundation," he continued.

"The Risen Lord has conquered all. No trouble will overwhelm us. No trial will break us. We will never grow tired of proclaiming this most important message of our Christian faith: Christ is alive. He has overcome death. He walks with us today. He brings light to our troubled lives. He takes away our fears of an unpredictable future. He guides us in our perilous journey in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world."

Advincula also urged Catholics to "be witnesses to the flame of hope that the resurrection has sparked in us" and to continue to be pilgrims of "hope in a mission of mercy and love."

The Filipino celebration of Easter begins at dawn. A procession called salubong or the meeting of two processed images—one of the Risen Christ, and the other of a still-mourning Mary—typically starts at around four in the morning.

Following the salubong, the procession proceeds to the church for the many Masses that follow throughout the day. 

Around 80 percent of the Philippines' 110 million people identify as Roman Catholics.