Official Calungsod icon chosen

 CEBU, Philippines - Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal has chosen yesterday the official icon of Blessed Pedro Calungsod that will be brought to Rome on October 21 for his canonization.

Vidal said the image, which was carved in Paete, Laguna, has the perfect image of a Bisaya and a young man that fits the 17-year-old Visayan martyr.

"The youth and Filipino image is there," Vidal said adding that the sculpture's eyes are also that of a Filipino.

The wooden statue stands four feet tall.

Fr. Jose Quilongquilong, a Cebuano priest and superior of the House of Theology, brought the image from Paete to Vidal's residence in Sto. Niño Village in Banilad,  Cebu City.

There were six other images presented to Vidal.

Vidal had said he wants the statue to wear a simple pair of sandals.

He said there were accounts that slippers were already used in the 1670s.

The image must also be holding the Doctrina Christiana or Book of Catechism and a palm leaf which symbolizes his martyrdom and wearing black pants.

These details were emphasized to differ Calungsod's image from that of San Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino saint.

Vidal said they will let the artist carve two smaller versions of the image of Calungsod.

One would stand three feet and the other would be a two-feet tall icon, which will be brought to Rome for the canonization.

Vidal said the icon brought from Paete yesterday was "quite heavy".

The rest of the six images that were not chosen will be brought back to their respective shrines.

Calungsod will be canonized along with six other blessed persons across the world.

After the canonization will be the national Thanksgiving Day Mass at the South Road Properties to be organized by the Archdiocese of Cebu.  (FREEMAN)