Pope to celebrate Philippine’s 500 years of Christianity

CEBU, Philippines —  Pope Francis will celebrate a Mass at the St. Peter’s Basilica on March 14, 2021 at 5 p.m. in the Philippines to celebrate the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines.

“Join us in Rome to pray, praise and thank God for his gift of the Christian faith,” Scalabrinian Fr. Ricky Gente told the Filipino Chaplaincy in Rome.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, and Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, the pope’s vicar of Rome, are also expected to attend the Mass.

Due to restrictions that are still in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic, only a limited number of people will be allowed to attend the Mass physically at the Basilica.

Earlier, Pope Francis granted a jubilee year with the inherent plenary indulgence for the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines. An indulgence is the remission of the temporal punishment due to sins, which have already been forgiven accordingly.

The Pope made the decision in a decree issued on February 25 to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

The document, signed by the head of Vatican’s Apostolic Penitentiary, Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, said the celebration, which will start officially on April 4, will be an opportunity to increase the virtues of faith, hope, and charity.

The faithful can receive plenary indulgence when they make a devotional pilgrimage to one of the designated jubilee churches until April 22, 2022.

However, when the faithful make the pilgrimage, they have to meet the usual conditions of going to confession, receiving the Eucharist, and praying for the intentions of the pope.

Pilgrims are also asked to pray “for the fidelity of the Filipino people to their Christian calling, for the increase of priestly and religious vocations and for the defense of the family, concluding with the Lord’s Prayer, the profession of faith, and an invocation to the Blessed Virgin Mary”.

There are 13 jubilee churches under the Archdiocese of Cebu that include the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral and San Nicolas Parish in Cebu City.

The rest of the jubilee churches in Cebu island include the Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Bantayan Island, St. Catherine de Alexandria Parish in Carcar City, Patrocinio de Maria Parish in Boljoon, St. Anne Parish in Barili, the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue City, San Guillermo de Aquitana Parish in Dalaguete, St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Argao, Danao’s Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Parish, St. Vincent Ferrer Parish in Bogo City, Balamban’s St. Francis of Assisi Parish, and the National Shrine of Our Lady of Rule in Lapu-lapu City. — JMO (FREEMAN)