The children are cared for by the Tulay ng Kabataan Foundation, which, together with the Archdiocese, want to dispel the false belief that Catholics must pay for the sacraments. “Being simple and poor are never obstacles to receiving the grace of God,” said the archbishop.

Manila (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Card Luis Antonio G. Tagle, archbishop of Manila, baptised 450 street children under the care of the Anak-Tulay ng Kabataan (TNK) Foundation. One of his goals was to let people rediscover that baptism is one of the sacraments “for everyone”. The ceremony took place two days ago at Immaculate Conception Cathedral.

Among the poorest Filipinos, many belief that, because of poverty or lack of financial resources, they cannot receive the grace of the sacraments. In collaboration with the Archdiocese, the TNK Foundation is trying to dispel the belief that Catholics must pay to receive them.

The cardinal welcomed the children in Manila’s cathedral. "Being simple and poor are never obstacles to receiving the grace of God,” he said. “The grace of God is for everyone especially the poor whom he cares for. The grace cannot be paid, it has no price.”

Seven priests joined him in the service using several baptismal fonts. Prayers were read out at the same time.

In his homily, the cardinal gave his thoughts about the parental duty of transmitting the faith in the home, noting that parents and godparents must help their children grow in the faith in which they were baptised.

“Let us raise our children as good followers of Jesus, a good member of the Church, and a responsible citizen of this country,” Tagle explained, adding that for this “to happen, we invite the parents to also grow in faith”.

The Tulay ng Kabataan Foundation has been serving Manila’s poorest children since 1998, more than 55,000 children over the years.

One of them was the Servant of God Darwin Ramos, who died in 2012 at the age of 17 due to a serious degenerative disease. On 28 August, his cause for beatification opened in the Diocese of Cubao (suffragan of Manila).

(Photo credit: CbcpNews)