Manila Cathedral sets papal visit exhibit

MANILA, Philippines — The Manila Cathedral will showcase memorabilia from three popes during their visits to the country in an exhibit from June 29 to July 2.

In its official Facebook page, the Manila Cathedral announced that the exhibit, held to mark the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, would feature collections from the visits of St. Paul VI, St. John Paul II and Pope Francis.

“As we pray and pledge our loyalty to our Holy Father, Francis, we wish to make the memory of our popes with the Filipinos close and alive,” the cathedral said.

The exhibit would open at 5:30 p.m. on June 29 and be followed by a 6 p.m. Pope’s Day Mass to be presided by Papal Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Charles Brown.

“Liturgical and extra-liturgical items used by the popes who visited our country will be exposed for public viewing,” it said.

Among the items to be featured in the exhibit are the portrait given by St. Paul VI to the Apostolic Nunciature, the chair used by St. John Paul II and the missal used by Pope Francis.

All three popes celebrated mass at the Manila Cathedral during their visits.

St. Paul VI visited Manila when he was pontiff in 1970 and went to poor families in Tondo, Manila.

St. John Paul II made two visits to the country when he was pope: in 1981 when he officiated the beatification of the first Filipino saint, Lorenzo Ruiz and in 1995 during the 10th World Youth Day.

But prior to these visits, St. John Paul II came to the country in 1973 when he was still Cardinal Karol Jozef Wojtyla, then the archbishop of Krakow, Poland.

Pope Francis made a state and pastoral visit to the country in 2015. He went to Leyte and met with those affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda.