What Is National Bible Day? Manny Pacquiao Wants To Create New Religious Holiday In The Philippines

Filipino boxer and now Senator Manny Pacquiao wants to establish National Bible Day, with the introduction of a new bill calling for every last Monday in January to observe the new holiday.

"This bill seeks to boldly emphasize the holiness of The Living Truth by allotting a holiday for its celebration," Pacquiao said during a committee hearing Wednesday. "The core of Christian belief is grounded in the Holy Bible. Sermons and homilies of Christian churches dwell in the teachings of the Bible. It is the primary source of spiritual manna. It forms and transforms lives of people from generations to generations. It serves as the foundation of spiritual, moral, and social fiber, which molds a socially responsible citizenry and strong nation building."

Pacquiao was raised Roman Catholic but later converted to Evangelical Protestant. The Philippines is the fifth largest Christian nation in the world. The country is also the largest Christian nation in the Asia Pacific. The country also has a strong Catholic presence and has about 76 million Catholics living in the nation, which is about as much as the Catholic population in the United States.

Pacquiao has referenced the Bible and its teachings on several occasions in government affairs in the Philippines. In August, he cited Bible passages when he filed a bill to restore the death penalty.

Should Pacquiao’s bill pass, the Philippines would join several other countries that have special observances of the Bible. In the U.S., the Bible has a week-long celebration, National Bible Week, which falls every year during the week of Thanksgiving. The week-long observance was first created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt back in 1941.