Pope Francis’ Philippine Visit Itinerary Released

The Archbishop of Manila, Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, officially announced on Friday the itinerary of Pope Francis’ Apostolic Visit to the Philippines.

The official itinerary is as follows:

Thursday, January 15, 2015

09:00 Departure by plane from Colombo to Manila

17:45 Arrival from Sri Lanka – Villamor Air Base, Manila

Motorcade to the Apostolic Nunciature – Taft Avenue, Manila

Friday, January 16, 2015

9:15 Welcome Ceremony – Malacañan Palace, Manila

10:15 Meeting with Civil Authorities and the Diplomatic Corps (Speech by Pope Francis)

Motorcade to the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Manila Cathedral)

11:15 Mass with Bishops, Priests, and Religious – Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Manila (Homily by Pope Francis)

Motorcade to the Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay

17:30 Encounter with Families – Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay (Speech by Pope Francis)

Saturday, January 17, 2015

08:15 Departure for Archdiocese of Palo – Villamor Air Base

09:30 Arrival at Tacloban Airport

10:00 Holy Mass – Tacloban Airport (Homily by Pope Francis)

12:45 Lunch with the Poor and Survivors of Calamities at Gonzagahaus (Residence of the Archbishop of Palo) – Palo, Leyte

15:00 Blessing of the Pope Francis Center for the Poor – Palo, Leyte

15:30 Meeting with the Priests and Religious at Cathedral of Our Lord’s Transfiguration (Palo Cathedral) – Palo, Leyte (Speech by Pope Francis)

17:00 Departure for Manila

18:15 Arrival at Manila – Villamor Air Base

Sunday, January 18, 2015

09:45 Brief Meeting with the Religious Leaders

10:30 Encounter with the Youth – Pontifical University of Santo Tomas, España, Manila (Speech by Pope Francis)

Motorcade to Rizal Park, Manila

15:30 Concluding Mass, Rizal Park, Manila (Homily by Pope Francis)

Monday, January 19, 2015

09:45 Departure Ceremony at Villamor Air Base

10:00 Departure for Rome – Villamor Air Base

17:40 Arrival at Rome’s Ciampino Airport

Archbishop Socrates Villegas, the President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of thePhilippines, sends his invitation to his fellow Filipinos to extend a hearty and warm welcome to Pope Francis and to open the hearts to the message that the Pope will. He also enjoined all to work and act together to make the Pope’s visit a moment of grace for all and the country.

Holy Communion and Divorce

The Body of Christ. Amen.

It is a painful sight to behold when during mass, pews are still full but the communion line is very short. I am talking about the divorced and the civilly remarried who go to mass but for some grave reasons cannot receive Holy Communion. On one hand, I admire these people for their humility and bravery despite the embarrassment. On the other hand, it pains me to see these people who because of an error would be deprived of what nurtures spiritually for the rest of their mortal lives.

While the issue rages on, the Church as a mother empathizes with the suffering of her children who are prohibited to receive Holy Communion. Nevertheless, the prohibition to the divorced and civilly remarried stands. Why? The Church does not have the freedom and right to alter the Gospel. Jesus taught, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery” (Mark 10:11-12). Adultery is a grave sin that makes one unworthy to receive communion and to receive the Lord unworthily does not confer the graces that it can give but all more the makes the person deep in sin. St. Paul wrote, “Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily, will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 11:27). In a way, to deny them communion can be seen as the Church’s way to protect her children from further harm that is from committing more serious sins.

The Church also upholds that marriage is a sacrament of unity between a husband and a wife. Jesus affirms this when he said, “What God has joined together, let no man put asunder” (Mark 10:19). Marriage reflects the union between God and his people. It is the same union that is expressed in the Eucharist because by partaking of communion, Jesus gathers us into one body. The Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio number 84 says, "They are unable to be admitted thereto from the fact that their state and condition of life objectively contradict that union of love between Christ and his Church which is signified and effected by the Eucharist.” They maybe prohibited receiving communion but that does not mean that they are shunned away from the Catholic Church. While they cannot receive communion they are not forbidden to attend mass.

Admittedly, the issue about the reception of Holy Communion by divorced and remarried couples is a complicated one. The issue has become a pastoral emergency in the Church but to give in to the demands to allow them to receive Holy Communion out of mercy will not address all the issues involved. Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller said, “One can draw close to God by turning to him in faith, hope and charity, in repentance and prayer. God can grant his closeness and his salvation to people on different paths, even if they find themselves in a contradictory life situation.”

Things to Know about Blessed Paul VI

Pope Paul VI greeting the crowds at St. Peter Square. 

Pope Paul VI is now a step closer to sainthood after Pope Francis proclaimed him blessed in a Beatification Mass on Sunday, October 19. In his short but inspiring homily, Pope Francis gave tribute to Blessed Paul VI calling him a “great Pope, a courageous Christian and a tireless apostle”.

But who is Pope Paul VI? Giovanni Battista Enrico Maria Montini was born on September 26, 1897 in Brescia. In 1963, after the sixth ballot of the papal conclave, he became the 262^nd successor of St. Peter. For 15 years in the papacy, he left the Church his own marks that could be considered his biggest legacies, namely:

Vatican Council II

Pope John XXIII convoked the council but it was Pope Paul VI who continued it, brought it to conclusion and implemented its reforms.

Papal Trips Abroad

He pioneered the Apostolic Trip, which brought him to six continents. He travelled to Holy Land, India and the United Nations (1965), Fatima and Turkey (1967), Columbia (1968), Geneva and Uganda (1969), and the Far East, Australia and Oceania (1970). These visits earned him a nickname “the Pilgrim Pope”.

Humanae Vitae

He authored Humane Vitae, an encyclical that re-affirms the teaching of the Church on the sanctity of marriage, the inviolability of life and the rejection of artificial forms of birth control and abortion.

He may not be as popular as his predecessors or his successors but today the Church remembers him for always not simply as a former pope but more so as a “blessed”.

The Church Communication and Mass Media

The advent of mass media has changed the way the world communicates radically and dramatically. Distance becomes a thing of the past. The world in a push of a button virtually became one village, nearer and closer. For the Church, this change has been beneficial and effective in bringing the gospel message to the world.

Pope Benedict XVI during the 44th World Communications Day urged priests to be present in the world of digital communications and to put the media ever more effectively at the service of the Word, evangelization and catechesis. The church through mass media collaboration created a special and different form of presence in the secular world. The church like in the words of St. Augustine is “ever ancient, ever new” especially with the new technology at her disposal. Without compromising her unchangeable faith and morals, the church can now catch up with the phase and demands of the modern time making her relevant to modern man.

The church is a missionary by nature and her mission is to communicate the person of Christ through faith, hope and love. The far-reaching capability of mass media has helped enormously in carrying this work of the church. The mass media enables the church to reach where the pulpit and missionaries cannot go even by their best efforts. Catholic radio program, for instance, proved helpful in understanding and kindling the faith of million listeners worldwide. Televised and on-air Sunday masses and gospel reflections become sources of spiritual nourishment especially to the old and the sick who cannot go to church anymore to physically participate in the mass. This makes the church more available to and reachable by people anywhere and anytime. By reaching far and wide, the church becomes more true to her name, Catholic, a church that embraces all, reaches all, and for all.

The advent of the mass media changed the way the world communicates radically but the presence of the church in mass media changed the way the world communicates for the better, forever.

In the beginning...let there be BLOG!

More than two thousand years ago, Jesus commanded his disciples to “go to all the nations and proclaim the good news”. With meager resources at their disposal but with strong faith and trust in God’s providence and protection, they left everything and off they went as far as their feet could go. St. Thomas reached India. St. James travelled to Spain. St. Peter journeyed to Rome. They travelled not without difficulty but their perseverance paid off. With their witnessing, people came to know who Jesus was. Many were converted and believed.

The disciples accomplished a lot but the mission continues. Jesus’ command stays the same, “to go to all the nations and proclaim the good news”. With the same mission and the same message, modern day disciples are called to go out into the world again. They are to proclaim the good news not only through the pulpit. They are to go out not only by air, land and sea but also by the new media of mass communication.

The Church recognizes the importance and usefulness of these new media of communication. The late Pope Paul VI in his Decree on the Media of Social Communication affirms the “inherent right of the Church to have at its disposal and to employ any of these media insofar as they are necessary or useful for the instruction of Christians and all its efforts for the welfare of souls”. In this technologically advanced society, to proclaim the Gospel and to bring Christ in the public square, the Church needs the help of the media of mass communications.

This blog was born as a humble response to Christ’s commands, a meager contribution to the Church’s call to new evangelization and a modest attempt to bring the Church up close.

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