BEFORE the headline topic, profound gratitude, felicitations and blessings on the Vatican’s declaration of the Saint Padre Pio Shrine in Santo Tomas, Batangas, as an international shrine on Sept. 23, the saint’s feast day. The country now has two international shrines: Padre Pio and Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in Antipolo City.
About 5 million devotees have visited the shrine, a Batangas tourism staffer said, and that’s before last week’s declaration. Notably, the Antipolo cathedral saw an increase of 1 to 2 million pilgrims a year since becoming an international shrine in January 2024, peaking at 10 million visitors annually.
Antipolo is the only international Marian shrine in Asia, while Padre Pio is the only international shrine dedicated to the popular saint. The Philippines now shares the distinction of having two international shrines, along with Italy, Poland and South Korea. There are just 14 international shrines worldwide, including the sites of Marian apparitions in Lourdes, France; Fatima, Portugal; and Knock, Ireland.
But far more than pilgrimage tourism, the Padre Pio shrine declaration blesses devotees and the Catholic Church at large with the particular spiritual charisms of Saint Pio de Pietrelcina, as he is canonically named. The shrine has a special facility for confessions, for which millions trekked to the priest during his lifetime and received uncommon insights, including the revelation of sins never confessed and threatening souls.
The Sept. 23 Mass and declaration showed great solemnity and tradition, with the reading of the Latin text of the declaration, the presence of Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Charles John Brown, as well as leading prelates from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Lead Mass celebrant was Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, bishop of Kalookan.
May the International Shrine of Saint Pio de Pietrelcina be a beacon of salvation in Asia and the world, especially through the blessings of confession and communion, as Padre Pio himself was to believers worldwide.
Watch and talk
On the headline topic, sadly and ironically, online devices indispensable for learning not only in pandemic lockdowns but also with inundated roads have become killing machines. Initial investigations of the three deadly school shootings — in Tacloban City in June, Zamboanga City in August and South Cotabato this month — point to violence-driving websites visited by the three high school students who killed five schoolmates, injured 30 people, then committed suicide.
Even as government, law enforcement and school authorities deliberate preventive measures to take, from tighter security and gun control to family and mental health interventions, three immediate steps are imperative to urgently protect our children from nefarious influences, especially those lurking online.
First, control access to smartphones, tablets, computers and other online devices. Fortunately, 98 percent of Filipino parents reportedly monitor and manage internet use — the highest in the world. However, the Philippines is also a hotspot for cyberthreats and cybercrime, including child sexual abuse.
Plus, millions of Filipino parents working abroad limit how much supervision they can exercise over children back home. While high-speed internet and smartphones have allowed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to transition from simple long-distance calling to intensive, daily digital parenting, they cannot physically manage their child’s screen interactions. Instead, they must rely on remote surveillance, emotional negotiations and reliance on home-based guardians.
And in rural areas, prepaid internet evades monitoring through home-based wi-fi internet. Children can browse on unvetted public connections using cheap, unmonitored secondary devices. Add to that the constraints of monitoring from different time zones. And a study from the International Journal of Social Sciences Review found that left-behind children routinely withhold critical lifestyle details from migrant parents.
This brings us to the second imperative: talk with children. Regular loving, understanding and open interaction avoids the concealment that gives nefarious online influences free rein hidden from parents. If children feel they can discuss things openly, then there would be less secretiveness about what they are up to.
Set periods of family bonding and sharing are crucial not only for online monitoring but also for building close family ties that are indispensable in the growing years. One factor reported in the shootings is depression and bullying. These could have been addressed if discussed with parents.
This family time is nonnegotiable. Poor communication opens the door to a host of problems, from perilous online interaction to unsavory influences from peers. Work that denies the family crucial time hurts the primary objective of working, which is a better life for one’s spouse and children.
Pray for protection
The last, and most important, safeguard against devilish influences is prayer. Yes, there are devils — the world’s state today isn’t just the result of human excesses. And given the host of possible websites out there, divine protection is certainly needed by the whole family in our offline and online activities, which are so rife with temptations and evil.
Family prayer at meals and online if family members are away not only gives indispensable protection but also brings the family closer. If children show disdain or distraction for prayer, then unfortunately that may be a problematic sign. Turning away from God cannot be a good thing, especially in our world of increasing demonic activity.
So, make sure to have prayer time, even if just a decade or mystery of the Rosary if the complete five decades is too long. And a prayer for online safety would be good to recite like the following:
Father, I plead the blood of Jesus over (your child) and every digital device they use. Protect them from pornography, predators, grooming, scams, cyberbullying, violent communities, dangerous challenges, inappropriate chats, and content designed to capture their attention in unhealthy ways. Give me wisdom concerning parental controls, privacy settings, time limits, apps, games, browsers, messages, and online friendships. Teach my child never to share personal information, photos, passwords, locations, or private details carelessly. Give them courage to show me anything online that frightens or confuses them. Help me supervise wisely instead of assuming that because my child is home, they are automatically safe. In Jesus’ name, Amen.