CEBU Archbishop Jose Palma urged the Catholic faithful to pray not only for themselves but also for the country and the world.Palma gave the message on Ash Wednesday, March 2, 2022, which marks the beginning of the Lenten season.“My dear brothers and sisters, as we journey through these 40 days of Lent, we intensify our prayer and we pray not only for ourselves but also for one another, for our country and for the world,” Palma said in a video message posted on the Archdiocese of Cebu’s official Facebook page.In the May 9 elections, the Philippines will be choosing its new president, the successor of President Rodrigo Duterte, while outside the country, the world is watching the Russian invasion unfolding in Ukraine.The prelate’s four-minute message on Ash Wednesday did not explicitly mention the upcoming polls and the war in Ukraine, but he did talk about life’s difficulties amid the Covid-19 pandemic and in the aftermath of Typhoon Odette (Rai), which struck parts of Cebu on Dec. 16, 2021.“After our difficult experience during the pandemic, after the ravages of Odette and now with all the many uncertainties both here and abroad, this desert experience will not be very far from our own experience. Now, let this be our opportunity to return to God, to acknowledge His lordship and ask for His mercy and compassion,” he said.Palma said Lent is not just about fasting, it is also about charity.“We offer our sacrifices, our acts of penance and fasting so that by not having much, we can give others something for their needs,” he said.Pontiff’s messagePope Francis declared on Feb. 23 that Ash Wednesday is “a day of fasting for peace,” the Catholic News Agency reported.“May the Queen of Peace preserve the world from the madness of war,” he said in a public address at the Vatican.Last January, Pope Francis led the worldwide day of prayer for peace in Ukraine.In Roman Catholicism, Lent is the season of fasting and penitence that precedes Easter.