MANILA, Dec. 2, 2014 – It’s not every day that priests and bishops get to hear Jesus Christ’s representative on earth give them a personal message. But that is exactly what priests and even bishops are looking forward to on Jan. 16, 2015 during a Mass with Pope Francis at the Manila Cathedral.
“Honestly, we are looking forward to Pope Francis because he will preach to us, bishops, priests and religious. He will tell us what kind of service we should have, especially here in the Philippines,” said Pasig Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara, head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Commission on Mass Media, in a media briefing earlier today at the General Headquarters of the Media Committee for the Pope’s Visit in Intramuros, Manila.
According to Vergara, the clergy and the religious look at the Holy Father as “someone who will be a father to his ordained and consecrated servants in the Philippines”, noting how Pope Francis’ Mass with some 1,500 selected priests and religious in the Philippines holds special significance.
Though he admitted he was not sure what the pope’s homily would specifically focus on, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle said it is possible he would talk about the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
“Hintayin natin ang kanyang paghahayag (Let’s just wait for his revelations),” Tagle said during the same media briefing.
Aside from some 500 lay people invited to the Mass, which would include the choir, technical support staff for the cathedral’s facilities, and members of the media, the several Asian bishops are also expected to be present, said Vergara.
“It should also be noted there will also be Asian bishops who will come…We are just waiting for their confirmation. Some have already confirmed. We know this is also, in terms of the globe, this is also a regional celebration. So they will be coming and they will be part of the Manila Cathedral celebration,” he added.
According to Manila Cathedral rector Msgr. Nestor Cerbo, strict security measures will be enforced with an on the dot cut-off time.Guests arriving after 10 a.m. will no longer be allowed into the church, even if they have tickets and IDs.
Vergara said the Central Committee will try its best to put up facilities like video walls or LCD screens outside of the Manila Cathedral to accommodate the faithful who may still want to join the Eucharistic celebration.(CBCPNews)
0 comments:
Post a Comment