THE VATICAN will commemorate the 500th anniversary of Christianity in the Philippines with a Mass led by Pope Francis, a Filipino priest based in Rome said.
In a CBCP News report, Scalabrinian priest Fr. Ricky Gente, who is with the Filipino chaplaincy in Rome, said the Mass would be held at St. Peter’s Basilica on March 14 at 10 a.m. (5 p.m. Manila time).
Former Manila archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, and Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, the pope’s vicar in the Rome diocese, will be present.
Only a limited number of people will be allowed inside the basilica due to Covid-19 restrictions, the report said. The event, however, will be broadcast live online.
After the Mass, the Pope will lead the traditional recitation of the Angelus prayer at St. Peter’s Square.
In December 2019, the Pontiff celebrated the traditional “Simbang Gabi” Mass where he recognized the role of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the growth of the Catholic Church around the world.
Italy has the largest population of OFWs in Western Europe, with about 168,000 Filipinos, the report said.
In 2015, Pope Francis made a historic visit to the Philippines and had an encounter with the youth at UST.
On Feb. 4, the Pope granted the request of Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma to declare a special jubilee for the archdiocesan celebration of the Philippine Christianity quincentennial in Cebu through a decree from the Apostolic Penitentiary.
The decree authorized a year-long celebration of the jubilee’s festivities, which will start on April 4.
