2 Events of Pope Francis Open to Public – Cardinal Tagle

Manila (PIA) – Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle said that two events of Pope Francis’ apostolic visit here in January next year will be open to the public.

Cardinal Tagle said that events open include the Masses that will be held at the Tacloban City airport in Leyte on January 17, 10:00AM and at the Luneta Park in Manila on January 19, 3:30PM.

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 January 16, 2015.

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 on January 16, 11:15 AM.

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 January 18, 2015.

Pope Francis is scheduled to arrive in Manila on January 15 from Sri Lanka. He will return to Rome on January 19, 2015. (CBCP/RJB/JEG/PIA-NCR)

Image Credit: Facebook Page Pope Francis