PAGADIAN CITY: Bishop Emmanuel
Cabajar is now in Manila with Catholic devotees from this city to see Pope
Francis, a report from the Catholic Diocese here said.
Aside from Cabajar, San Pedro parish priest
Rev. Fr. Zacharias Alinto is also leading a delegation of faithfuls for
Tacloban to anticipate the papal visit there.
Pope Francis is currently in Manila
where he arrived from a two-day trip in Sri Lanka shortly before Angelus time, Thursday
afternoon.
San Jose parish priest Rev. Fr.
Rene Herrera informed media that Cabajar led a total of 11 priests, four nuns,
20 members of the laity; and 36 youth delegates in Manila.
Herrera added the Pagadian delegation will attend
Masses to be celebrated by the pope at the Manila Cathedral on Friday and at
Rizal Park on Sunday.
The CBCP has confirmed both schedules,
including the one to be celebrated in Tacloban City, which is also according to
the official papal itinerary released.
Herrera added the youth delegates with
them will attend the papal event at University of Santo Tomas on Sunday.
The priest disclosed that the
delegation for Tacloban consists of 20 priests and laity and youths.
The Archdiocese of Manila forwarded
information that the pontiff will celebrate Mass on Saturday morning at the
airport in Tacloban and will have lunch with the poor and survivors of Typhoon
Yolanda at the residence of the Archbishop of Palo.
The Pope is set to bless the Pope
Francis Center for the Poor in Palo, and then proceed to the Cathedral of Our
Lord’s Transfiguration to meet with priests and religious groups.
The four-day papal visit will end
on Monday when he leaves for Rome.
In 1995, St. John Paul II visited
the country to grace the World Youth Day in Manila.