VATICAN CITY — Last August 25 to 27, 2026, representatives from Latin America, Africa, Europe, and Asia gathered at the Vatican for a landmark congress: “Faith-Based Response to Drugs and the Criminal Recruitment of Young People: A Dialogue from Latin America and the Caribbean to the World.” Organized by CELAM’s PLAPA initiative alongside the Pontifical Commission for Latin America (CAL) and the OAS Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission, the meeting focused on prevention, social integration, and the vital role of faith communities in combating substance abuse.
A Story of Redemptive Grace
Among the participants was Fr. Roberto dela Cruz of the Archdiocese of Manila, Priest in charge of Sanlakbay (“One Journey”)—a community-based drug rehabilitation program providing spiritual, moral, and psychological support to individuals and their families. An initiative that started in 2016 under His Eminence Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, then Archbishop of Manila.
Fr. Dela Cruz openly shared his own history with substance dependency and trafficking, detailing his journey through multiple rehabilitation programs. Over time, he realized that healing can only take root when approached with Christ-like empathy and compassion. His true turning point came not merely through clinical treatment, but through the enduring patience,prayers, and unconditional love of his family, who refused to abandon him.
“While clinical treatment is essential, real recovery requires a faith-based perspective. Healing is fundamentally a journey of the soul, and ultimate restoration happens when spiritual needs are addressed alongside physical ones.” – Fr. Roberto dela Cruz
Speaking at the congress, he highlighted this to integrate a Christian perspective into patient care, emphasizing that clinical treatment alone is insufficient for holistic healing.Family as the Domestic Church
During their private audience, Pope Leo XIV emphasized the indispensable role of the family in fostering lasting recovery. Addressing the heartbreak of poverty, broken homes, and systemic addiction, the Holy Father urged the faithful to strengthen the family as the primary “domestic church.”
“There is no better defense against drugs than a good family.”
— Pope Leo XIV
Photo Credit: Vatican News
Community, Collaboration and Communion
“Overcoming it (drugs) requires relationship, living together, empathy—communion that heals, a communion or collaboration with united diverse resources supporting recovery. The devil doesn’t stand a chance when the body of Christ stands in unity of love.” – Fr. Roberto dela Cruz
Faith remains central on the road to recovery. As Fr. Dela Cruz highlighted, effective rehabilitation requires knowing God, building supportive communities that uphold human dignity, and participating in ecclesial communion.
Five Ways to Fortify the Soul and Family
- Confession: Seek God’s mercy to cleanse the soul and build spiritual resilience.
- Eucharistic Adoration: Spend quiet time in the Real Presence of Jesus, offering prayers for families affected by addiction.
- The Holy Rosary: Entrust your family and parish to the daily protection and intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
- The Holy Mass: Receive the Eucharist with intentional gratitude, drawing strength from Christ, the Bread of Life.
- Sacred Scripture: Anchor your heart in God’s Word. As Matthew 7:24–25 reminds us, those who hear and act on Christ’s words build their house upon the rock—a foundation that withstands life’s fiercest storms.
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