Cebuano, 3 other prelatesto receive pallium in Rome

CEBU, Philippines - The newly-installed Cebuano archbishop of Palo, Leyte, is one of the four Filipino archbishops who are currently in Rome to receive a pallium, the last stage of an archbishop’s appointment, no less than from Pope Benedict XVI tomorrow.

Father John F. Du, will receive the pallium along with Archbishops Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila, Jose Advincula of Capiz, and Romulo Valles of Davao. They left for Rome last Monday accompanied by some priests and relatives.

Benedict XVI will confer the pallium to a number of metropolitan archbishops appointed in 2011 in a concelebrated Mass at the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Basilica on June 29.

The papal pallium is a liturgical insignia of the archbishop made of white wool, which symbolizes the office of archbishop, particularly their bond and shared responsibility with the pope to be pastors in their regions.

Each year on the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, the pope gives a pallium to newly-installed archbishops around the world. Cebu Archbishops Jose Palma and Archbishop Sergio Utleg of Tuguegarao also received the same honor at the Vatican last year.

Monsignor Esteban Binghay, Episcopal vicar of the Archdiocese of Cebu, said the pallium is the highest liturgical insignia an archbishop can receive from the Holy Father.

“It’s a symbol of communion with the Church and is indicating superior episcopal authority and dignity,” Binghay said. — (FREEMAN)