Kenneth Corbilla

Pope Francis chosen the Archbishop of Capiz as the successor of Luis Antonio Tagle. He had already made him cardinal last November. His first words to the Church of the largest diocese in the Philippines were “pray for me”. At the recent consistory, he had indicated that his pastoral priorities include the peripheries, education and the defence of human rights.

Archbishop Jose Palma is in hospital; the auxiliary emeritus too tested positive. The vaccination campaign has not yet started. The Philippine Labor Department wants to trade nurses for vaccine.

The cross recalls the oldest Christian artefact, with the name of Jesus in Latin and in baybayin: "it is a symbol of the encounter of faith between Western missionaries and our own culture and life". The song “We give our yes” was composed by Charlemagne Marcelo and is performed and broadcast by pop singer Jamie Rivera. The inaugural celebration in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

The images of the faithful celebrating the feast in silence and respecting social distancing are unforgettable. Usually millions of people take part in the celebration. According to tradition, Ferdinand Magellan gave an image of the Santo Niño to Queen Juana, the wife of the king of Cebu, a gesture that started the spread of Christianity in the city and throughout the country. Bishop Broderick Pabillo, apostolic administrator of Manila, led the Mass with the parish priest of the shrine, Fr Estelito Villegas. Eight Masses were celebrated during the day, all broadcast on social media.

In an interview, the cardinal-elect said that his appointment only shows that Pope Francis can clearly see how priests in his archdiocese have worked hard to help Christianity grow in Capiz.

A bill has been presented to dedicate San Francisco del Monte Avenue to Fernando Poe Jr., the "King of Philippine Movie". Franciscan missionaries want Congress to choose another street for the movie celebrity. As far as they know, Poe's family lived on Roosevelt Avenue.

The feeling of insecurity and concerns over victimisation by crime are the main factors underpinning support for the reintroduction of the death penalty. Former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo abolished the death penalty in 2006. In his fifth State of the Nation address last July, incumbent President Rodrigo Duterte asked the Philippine Congress to reintroduce it.

Undas Online, which is now in its ninth year, was initially created for seafarers and those who work overseas and cannot commemorate the deaths of their loved ones.

On the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the evangelization of the Philippines, the bishops confirm the study of the National Historical Commission. The celebrant was Fr. Pedro Valderrama, the only priest who embarked with Ferdinando Magellano.

On 14 April 2021, the Philippines will celebrate the first baptism in the country, which is featured in the logo of 500 Year of Christianity, led by the Archdiocese of Cebu. The theme of the celebration, “Gifted to Give”, comes from the Gospel of Matthew (10:8).

In Metro Manila and throughout the country, cemeteries will be closed from October 29 to November 4, to avoid gatherings of large crowds. Msgr Broderick Pabillo, apostolic administrator of the archdiocese of Manila, has released a pastoral letter in which he asks the faithful to follow and abide by the rules set by the government. Faithful advised to offer a mass and pray as a family for the dead, sharing memories of the dearly departed. At present in the Philippines there are 299,361 Covid positive cases, with 5,196 deaths.

The charity organisation of the Philippine Church has responded to the appeal of Caritas internationalis to help Lebanon following the blast that hit the Port of Beirut.