Church prepares for Christianity's 5th centenary 

The Archdiocese of Manila is set to launch this week the celebration of the 500 years of the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines, according to a report by Philippine News Agency.

In an article posted on the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila (RCAM) website, it announced that the launching will be held at the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros on Feb. 6.

The archdiocese will also celebrate the 442nd anniversary of its establishment as the first diocese in the country.

“Most Rev. Broderick S. Pabillo, Apostolic Administrator of Manila will lead the celebration of the Holy Eucharist at 9 am, with the newly appointed Papal Nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Charles John Brown. Priests from the Archdiocese of Manila, representatives of the religious as well as the laity will also attend the celebration,” it said.

The five mayors in the cities covered by the Archdiocese -- Manila, Makati, San Juan, Mandaluyong and Pasay -- were also invited to join the celebration.

Fr. Kali Pietre Llamado, vice rector of the Manila Cathedral and one of the priests in-charge of the preparations for the event, said over the weekend the local celebration of the archdiocese follows the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines' guidelines of emphasizing celebration, formation and legacy.

Among the highlights of the launching is the wearing of the 500 Years Mission Cross which serves as a reminder of being Christians.

“The Cross from the logo will be made into pendant crosses, to bring back the tradition of wearing cross, to be a sign of our faith in Jesus, of protection from God, and most importantly, as a badge of our missionary work. Wearing a cross, we are reminded that we are Christians, we are Catholics, and we say yes to God’s mission,” he said.

There will be a ceremonial giving and wearing of the Mission Cross for the invited mayors, representatives from different communities and chosen pilgrimage churches of the archdiocese.

The pilgrim churches in the archdiocese during the year-long celebration of the 500 years of Christianity are Manila Cathedral (Manila), Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, Quiapo Church (Manila), Archdiocesan Shrine of Nuestra Señora de Guia (Manila), Archdiocesan Shrine of Sto. Niño de Tondo (Manila), San Pablo Apostol Parish (Manila), Santa Clara de Montefalco Parish (Pasay), National Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Makati), Sts. Peter and Paul Parish (Makati), San Felipe Neri Parish (Mandaluyong), St. John the Baptist Parish (San Juan).

In union with the other cathedrals in the Philippines, Pabillo will open the jubilee door of the Manila Cathedral on Easter Sunday, April 4, 2021. He will open the jubilee doors of the other churches during the Easter Week.

On Feb. 7, there will be parochial launching of the celebration where the different parishes in the archdiocese will be holding their respective activities to mark the event.