Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan opened the Laudato Si’ Summit and Festival at Ateneo de Manila University on September 4 with a sharp denunciation of corruption and greed, warning that the country’s worsening ecological and social crises are rooted in what he called “avarice.”

“You cannot serve God and mammon,” the prelate said, stressing that society’s obsession with wealth, status, and power fuels destructive development projects, government reliance on gambling revenues, and the deepening vulnerability of poor communities to disasters and displacement.

Cardinal David described “the root sin” as avarice, which he said is driven by “our obsessive anxiety about material wealth, about food, drink, clothing, status, and tomorrow’s survival.” This fixation, he warned, blinds people from recognizing what truly matters.

The prelate condemned “wealth porn” in Philippine society, where contractors and politicians flaunt ill-gotten riches. Referring to a viral media feature and social media videos, he said, “Corruption has become really sickening. It’s wealth porn… a life-threatening, obscene, and obscene lifestyle.”

David, who heads the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, linked this culture of greed to failed flood-control projects, destructive reclamation in Manila Bay, and government reliance on gambling revenues. 

“I claimed that the biggest pusher of gambling addiction is now the government through Pagcor. They cannot give that up because even the government is addicted. Addicted to the billions of discretionary funds that are not subject to audits,” he said.

To illustrate how greed and systemic neglect intersect with poverty and environmental collapse, Cardinal David recalled the story of Dion “Jello” de la Rosa, a 20-year-old sacristan from Malabon.

“He would have been the first to finish college in his family,” the prelate said. 

Jello died of leptospirosis after wading through flooded streets for four days while searching for his missing father, who had been “illegally arrested, illegally detained, and falsely charged.” 

Cardinal David said the young man’s death was the result not only of natural disaster but also of corruption. “The dirty floodwaters that claimed Jello’s life were not simply natural disasters. They were also aggravated by a failed multibillion-dollar flood control project riddled with corruption, which turned our streets into death traps.”

He warned that coastal cities like Caloocan, Malabon, and Navotas “will not survive more than another 20 years, according to scientists. They will be submerged and unlivable in just about 20 years.”

The prelate also criticized reclamation projects in Manila Bay that displaced fisherfolk and destroyed aquaculture. “Poison the water, kill the aquaculture, so that people have no choice but to give in to the reclamation. And what drives all of this? Avarice,” he said.

Cardinal David urged participants to reorder their priorities, stressing that by putting faith and moral integrity first, people can rediscover the lessons creation itself offers about simplicity, gratitude, and right relationships.

“To live simply, humbly, and gratefully. To live in right relationship with God, with one another, and with our common home, the earth,” he said. 

Cardinal David emphasized that Christ stands at the very heart of creation. He explained that all things were made through and for Christ, and that harming the environment is tantamount to wounding him. Restoring and caring for creation, on the other hand, allows Christ to bring reconciliation and peace to all things.

The prelate outlined four exhortations: to resist the lure of greed, to overcome insecurity by trusting in God’s providence, to live simply and joyfully by drawing wisdom from creation, and to recognize Christ at the center of creation by taking part in his mission of reconciliation.

“This is the meaning of being champions of integral ecology,” Cardinal David said. “It is more than survival. It is a way of discipleship, a way of love. Dio Angelo’s short life has become a parable for our society, a warning, but also a call. May his memory strengthen our resolve to serve not mammon, but Christ.”