Don't Fear the Dead – CBCP Official

MANILA, Oct.30, 2010- An official of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines lamented the popularity of the Halloween and horror movies, saying it threatened to overshadow the Christian festival of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.

Monsignor Pedro Quitorio, CBCP Media Office Director, said the western tradition had created a climate of fear against the dead.

Instead, he said, people should use the occasion to visit the graves of loved ones.

"You have no reason to fear the dead that is portrayed (in the movies) otherwise. They are loved ones and they are in heaven," Quitorio told reporters.

"Our loved will not do anything to scare us," he added.

Quitorio also called on the faithful not to forget the spirit of the All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, noting that they remember and pray for their departed ones.

He said it does not matter where people pray to commemorate their departed family members as long as they remember to pray for their souls. (CBCPNews)