A Catholic archbishop warned that digital habits are weakening Filipino families as he preached during Mass on the Feast of the Holy Family on Sunday.
Archbishop Gilbert Garcera of Lipa said families face growing obstacles as constant phone use replaces meaningful conversation at home, even during meals meant to strengthen family bonds.
“Families no longer talk to one another,” Garcera, the president of the Philippine bishops’ conference, said in Filipino during Mass at the Parish of the Holy Family in Luyos, Tanauan City.
He described parents watching television, children using computers and phones, and family members absorbed in personal devices instead of speaking face to face.
Communication remains essential to marriage and family life, he said, stressing that spouses, parents and children must continue talking to one another.
As the new year approaches, Garcera challenged families to rediscover conversation, saying shared dialogue restores unity and helps make families whole.
“We were given words so we could speak to one another,” said Garcera, who also previously chaired the CBCP Commission on Family and Life and the Asian bishops’ Office on Laity and Family.
The archbishop also pointed to what he described as a second challenge to family life: shifting perceptions that blur distinctions between people and pets.
“Dogs and cats are now being treated as family members,” he said, citing pastoral incidents in the archdiocese involving requests for blessings and special treatment for animals during church services.
He recalled cases in which parishioners sought blessings after the death of a dog, saying the Church blesses grieving people, not animals, because only the human person has a soul.
Garcera also cited an incident in which a lay minister was injured when a dog held by a communicant reacted during the distribution of Communion.
He added that disputes have also arisen when seats during Mass were reserved for pets rather than people.
“Brothers and sisters, this is a point for reflection: what truly is a family? These two things are essential—communication and reflection on what a loving family really is.”
With several clergy present, the Mass also marked the closing of the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope in the archdiocese.
