President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed gratitude to the Iglesia Ni Cristo for supporting the government and the Filipino people as the religious group marked its 108th anniversary yesterday.
“I am extremely grateful for your efforts to unite with the government and the Filipino people to ensure peace and order in the country and other parts of the world,” Marcos said in a statement.
“Let us use this opportunity to stand united despite our differences and misunderstandings. I hope that this occasion would help us achieve our common goal for the country,” he added.
Marcos wished the INC community a “solemn and merry” celebration of its founding anniversary as he prayed for the good health of INC Executive Minister Eduardo V. Manalo and the congregation’s other leaders.
Days before his State of the Nation Address on July 25, the President, accompanied by his son, Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro Marcos, visited Manalo at the INC Central Office in Quezon City.
During the meeting, Marcos expressed hope the religious group would continue playing a key role in society, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Iglesia Ni Cristo was founded by Felix Y. Manalo on July 27, 1914, with its first church established in Punta, Sta. Ana, Manila.
The religious group has since grown to around 2.25 million followers worldwide.
