MANILA, Nov. 19, 2014— Only two out of the 11 scheduled activities of Pope Francis’ four-day visit to the country next year will be open to the public.
Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal said these include the Masses that will be held at the Tacloban City airport in Leyte at 10 a.m. on Jan. 17 and at the Luneta Park in Manila at 3:30pm on Jan. 18.
All the other activities, he said, are by invitation only.
“In some of the events like the encounter with the families… because of the constraint also of the venues, only representatives from different sectors or provinces will be accommodated,” Tagle said.
The cardinal was referring to the “Meeting with the Families” at the Mall of Asia Arena at 5:30pm on Jan. 16.
He said each archdiocese and diocese will send representatives to attend the gathering with the pope at the arena which has a seating capacity of around 15,000 with the ability to hold as many as 20,000 people.
“How these families will selected is up to the bishops of the diocese,” said Tagle.
Only around 2,000 bishops, priests, and religious individuals will be able to get into the Manila Cathedral for the Mass with the pope at 11:15am on Jan. 16, the second day of the papal visit.
Jesuit Archbishop Antonio Ledesma of Cagayan de Oro earlier said the papal visit central committee had asked every diocese to send only 10 priests and five religious women for the liturgical activity.
Msgr. Nestor Cerbo, rector, said security preparations are now underway for the Mass at the cathedral.
He said they will also set up video walls outside the cathedral for people who will not be able to get inside the church.
The pontiff is also scheduled to visit the Palo Cathedral to address the clergy and the religious congregations, and bless the Pope Francis Center for the Poor, a Vatican project for the care of the elderly, the orphans and the less privileged, in Leyte.
In Manila, among the activities is a brief meeting between the pope and the religious leaders of the Philippines and will be followed with an encounter with the youth. Both activities will be held at the University of the Santo Tomas campus in Manila on Jan. 18.
Pope Francis is scheduled to arrive in Manila on Jan. 15 from Sri Lanka. He will go to Port Moresby on Jan. 19-21 and to Singapore on 22, and Suva on 23 and New Zealand and Australia on January 24-February 2. (CBCPNews)
Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal said these include the Masses that will be held at the Tacloban City airport in Leyte at 10 a.m. on Jan. 17 and at the Luneta Park in Manila at 3:30pm on Jan. 18.
All the other activities, he said, are by invitation only.
“In some of the events like the encounter with the families… because of the constraint also of the venues, only representatives from different sectors or provinces will be accommodated,” Tagle said.
The cardinal was referring to the “Meeting with the Families” at the Mall of Asia Arena at 5:30pm on Jan. 16.
He said each archdiocese and diocese will send representatives to attend the gathering with the pope at the arena which has a seating capacity of around 15,000 with the ability to hold as many as 20,000 people.
“How these families will selected is up to the bishops of the diocese,” said Tagle.
Only around 2,000 bishops, priests, and religious individuals will be able to get into the Manila Cathedral for the Mass with the pope at 11:15am on Jan. 16, the second day of the papal visit.
Jesuit Archbishop Antonio Ledesma of Cagayan de Oro earlier said the papal visit central committee had asked every diocese to send only 10 priests and five religious women for the liturgical activity.
Msgr. Nestor Cerbo, rector, said security preparations are now underway for the Mass at the cathedral.
He said they will also set up video walls outside the cathedral for people who will not be able to get inside the church.
The pontiff is also scheduled to visit the Palo Cathedral to address the clergy and the religious congregations, and bless the Pope Francis Center for the Poor, a Vatican project for the care of the elderly, the orphans and the less privileged, in Leyte.
In Manila, among the activities is a brief meeting between the pope and the religious leaders of the Philippines and will be followed with an encounter with the youth. Both activities will be held at the University of the Santo Tomas campus in Manila on Jan. 18.
Pope Francis is scheduled to arrive in Manila on Jan. 15 from Sri Lanka. He will go to Port Moresby on Jan. 19-21 and to Singapore on 22, and Suva on 23 and New Zealand and Australia on January 24-February 2. (CBCPNews)
