APOSTOLIC NUNCIO to the Philippines Archbishop Charles Brown called on Filipino Catholics to continue proclaiming the good news on the 500th anniversary of the first Mass in the Philippines on Limasawa Island in Southern Leyte on March 31.
“The love of Christ made present in every celebration of the Holy Mass impels us to proclaim the Gospel we have received to all the world,” the papal envoy said in a message sent to the Diocese of Maasin.
“It is in this sharing of the gift of faith with others that we can best express our thanksgiving to God who has loved us through His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who suffered, died and rose again from the dead,” he added.
Mass is essential
In his homily, Maasin Bishop Precioso Cantillas urged Filipinos to “deepen and intensify” their faith to quell the evil drawing humanity and God apart.
“The Eucharist is the real presence of Jesus, the concrete act of his love and mercy for us and we need always to remember this,” Cantillas said.
He also urged the government to consider religious activities as “essential.”
“There are situations when our faith in Jesus is challenged, like in this time of Covid-19 pandemic when going to Mass is not considered as essential to man by those making the decisions for the public health of society. This is contrary to the clear teachings of Jesus and His Church,” he said.
The Mass was preceded by a fluvial procession carrying the pilgrim image of Santo Niño de Cebu from Maasin to the Island of Limasawa.
Church and local officials unveiled a new historical marker in Barangay Triana, Limasawa.
The celebration is part of the yearlong commemoration of the fifth centenary of the arrival of Christianity in the country.
Jubilee doors will be opened in all dioceses from April 5 to 8, 2021.
On March 31, 1521, the first documented Mass in the Philippines, cited in the journals of Antonio Pigafetta, was held on Easter Sunday. It was offered by Fr. Pedro de Valderrama, the priest of the Spanish fleet led by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. Ma. Alena O. Castillo
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