Palo to put up mini-museum of pope’s items

MANILA, Philippines - A mini-museum displaying items used by Pope Francis during his visit to Tacloban City will be put up by the archdiocese of Palo in Leyte in honor of his visit.

Archdiocese of Palo spokesman Fr. Amadeo Alvero told CBCPNews that among the items are the pope’s yellow plastic poncho, skullcap, ciborium, chalice and linen used during the mass at the Tacloban Airport.

The skullcap is being kept at the archbishop’s residence near the Pope Francis Center.

Alvero said only one of the three yellow raincoats the pope wore during his visit had been preserved. He said the other two were torn so they could be easily removed from the pontiff as he alighted from the popemobile.

The archdiocese gave Pope Francis a “Filipinized” version of the image of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception as a ceremonial keepsake of his visit. 

The image was handcrafted by renowed sculptor Willy Layug from one of the rafters of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lord’s Transfiguration, which was destroyed by Super Typhoon Yolanda.