MANILA (LiCAS News): “The Shrine of Aranzazu must be a beacon not only of devotion but also of solidarity with those in suffering,” Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, pro-prefect for the Section for First Evangelisation and New Particular Churches of the Dicastery for Evangelisation, said on August 22. “The Blessed Mother is there, her Son is there, Aranzazu.”
Cardinal Tagle was celebrating Mass at the newly elevated National Shrine of Our Lady of Aranzazu in the Diocese of Antipolo, the Philippines, on the feast of the Queenship of Mary
In his homily, the cardinal said the shrine’s mission goes beyond honoring the Blessed Mother in devotion.
The cardinal said it must also accompany those who live amid the “thorns” of life — poverty, displacement, violence, and the pain of families still searching for their missing loved ones.
The Shrine of Aranzazu must be a beacon not only of devotion but also of solidarity with those in suffering
Cardinal Tagle
He drew from the origins of the devotion in Oñate, Spain, where the image of the Virgin and Child appeared on a thorn bush. The cardinal explained that this symbol points to Mary’s constant presence in places of hardship, and to the call for her devotees to also stand in such “thorny” places of society.
Quoting from scripture, Cardinal Tagle also reflected on thorns as signs of humanity’s brokenness—from the cursed earth in Genesis to the “thorn in the flesh” of St. Paul that kept him humble, and finally to the crown of thorns endured by Jesus.
Each, he said, reveals both the suffering and the grace present in human struggle.
Among the “thorns” he highlighted are the cries of mothers searching for their children who have disappeared.
“We must help the mothers who until now are still searching for their children, not knowing where they are. Were they abducted? Were they killed?” the cardinal asked.
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We must help the mothers who until now are still searching for their children, not knowing where they are. Were they abducted? Were they killed?
Cardinal Tagle
His appeal echoed his recent pastoral engagement at the 11th Philippine Conference on New Evangelisation in Manila, where he hosted a “heart-to-heart” conversation.
Among the participants was Edith Burgos, mother of missing peasant-activist, Jonas Burgos, who has spent years seeking truth and justice.
Cardinal Tagle reminded the faithful that true devotion to Mary cannot be separated from discipleship in Christ. “Who truly honours Mary as queen? Only those who recognise and follow Jesus as king,” he said.
The cardinal added that the shrine’s new status is not simply a recognition of history and devotion, but a call to live out faith in solidarity. “Therefore, the faithful of San Mateo must be present in the thorny places of society,” he said.
Cardinal Tagle said that the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aranzazu would find its true meaning not in titles or ceremonies, but in becoming a refuge where “prayers rise like incense,” the poor are welcomed, and those who carry the thorns of life find companions in faith.
