15,000 attend Christ the King celebration in Pangasinan

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, Philippines  - Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas told an estimated 15,000 parishioners from his flock who trooped here Sunday afternoon for the Christ The King celebration that “the real power is in the power of love manifested by Christ as the King of hearts.”

Villegas said in his homily during a Mass concelebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Renato Mayugba and all the priests in their archdiocese that,” It is only by loving one another that we can truly discover the real power of Christ our King.”

“Jesus is the king of hearts of everyone, not king of money, not king of revenge. He does not show His power by punishing (people) but He shows his power by freely offering Himself, by waiting, and waiting, and waiting for us,” he said.

He said that by coming together as Pangasi­nenses in one venue for the archdiocesan celebration of Christ The King, people recognize that the real shepherd of the archdiocese is neither him as the archbishop nor Gov. Amado Espino Jr. as head of the province but it’s Jesus. 

The affair gathered together provincial and municipal officials and Catholic faithful at the Capitol plaza after many years of celebrating it in different vicariates. 

Villegas said that while it is true there is separation of church and the state, “there should be no separation of God and man.” 

He said there should be no separation of God and man because that separation can bring us total harm. 

“When we separate God from man it can only destroy us. When we separate God and man, it can ruin us. It can only cause our destruction,” he said. 

The governor, as the executive chairman of the archdiocesan Christ The King celebration, said in his message the event is one big occasion where Pangasinenses can come us one big Catholic family and to acknowledge the kingship of Christ. 

He said it is only proper that this first archdiocesan celebration of Christ The King is held in Lingayen because the Epiphany of the Lord parish is the original seat of the archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan.