BY CHRISTINA I. HERMOSO
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Citing various flatforms, the celebration of the 500 years of Christianity in the country will push through as scheduled next year despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) acting president Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David said the observance will be a year-long event starting next year and ending in 2022
“We will push through with the celebration whether we will be able to gather physically or not. A lot of things are happening virtually by zoom, tele-conferencing, and even, webinars. There are a lot of ways to meet,” David said over Church-run Radio Veritas.
“We have formed an executive committee for the celebration which will run for a year beginning in 2021,” he added.
The Church leader assured the faithful that the pandemic will not serve as a hindrance to the important commemoration – the gift of faith. The bishop stressed that the holding of a big gathering is not that necessary as there are ways to gather through the use of social media.
David also announced that the CBCP has moved the National Mission Congress to 2022 instead of next year. “We have rescheduled many of our activities to 2022. Next year as the Church observes the Year of Mission, the dioceses will hold a diocesan mission congress,” he said.
In 2013, the CBCP began a nine-year spiritual journey in preparation for the 500th year celebration of the arrival of Christianity in the country. This year is observed as the Year of Ecumenism and Inter-Religious Dialogue.
