Benedict XVI on Philippine television

Five of our national television networks will carry the Midnight Mass of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, and his Christmas Message "To the City and to the World". The telecasts will come to us by satellite from the Vatican.

NBN Channel 4 will televise the Mass at 9 on Christmas morning. They will air the Message at 8 in the evening.

ABC Channel 5 will present the Mass live at 7:00 a.m. The Philippines is seven hours ahead of Italy by the international time belts. They will carry the Message, delayed, at 11:15 p.m.

RPN Channel 9 will broadcast the Mass live at 6:55 a.m. They will present the Message, delayed, at 12 midnight. They will replay the Mass on Tuesday, December 26, at 10:30 p.m.

IBC Channel 13 will air the Mass, delayed, at 8:00 p.m. But they will carry the Message, live, at 6:55 p.m.

GMA Channel 7 will play both Mass and Message, back to back, at 1:10 a.m. on Tuesday, December 26

In graphic form:

The National Broadcasting Network - NBN - has 21 outlets:

* NBN 4. . . Manila

* NBN 11. . . Cebu

* NBN 11. . . Davao

* NBN 7. . . Zamboanga

* NBN 11. . . Pagadian

* NBN 11. . . Dipolog

* NBN 8. . . Cotabato

* NBN 8. . . Tacloban

* NBN 2. . . Guimaras

* NBN 10. . . Dumaguete

* NBN 12. . . Calbayog

* NBN 4. . . Puerto Princesa

* NBN 8. . . Naga

* NBN 8. . . Baguio

* NBN 11. . . Laoag

* NBN 4. . . Vigan

* NBN 2. . . Bacolod and Iloilo

* NBN 4. . . Goa, Camarines Sur

* NBN . . Catanduanes Community TV Network

* NBN 13. . . Romblon Community TV

Network

* NBN 2. . . Sorsogon Broadcasting

Corporation

The Associated Broadcasting Corporation – ABC–has 15 outlets

* ABC 5. . . Manila

* ABC 2. . . Laoag

* ABC 28. . . Baguio

* ABC 5. . . Naga

* ABC 6. . . Legazpi

* ABC 11. . . Sorsogon

* ABC 32. . . Bacolod

* ABC 21. . . Cebu

* ABC 8. . . Surigao del Sur

* ABC 13. . . Butuan

* ABC 10. . . Agusan del Sur

* ABC 21. . . Cagayan de Oro

* ABC 2. . . Davao

* ABC 29. . . Zamboanga

* ABC 12. . . General Santos

ABC is affiliated with 32 Cable Stations in Luzon

14 in the Visayas

14 in Mindanao

The Radio Philippines Network, Inc.–RPN - has eight outlets:

* Channel 9 . . Manila

* Channel 12. . . Baguio City

* Channel 10. . . Iriga City

* Channel 8. . . Bacolod City

* Channel 9. . . Cebu City

* Channel 5. . . Zamboanga

* Channel 5. . . Cagayan de Oro

* Channel 9. . . Davao City

The International Broadcasting Corporation - IBC - has 7 outlets:

* Channel 13. . . Manila

* Channel 6. . Baguio

* Channel 13. . . Ilocos Norte

* Channel 12. . . Iloilo City

* Channel 10. . . Cebu City

* Channel 10. . . Cagayan de Oro City

* Channel 13. . . Davao City

GMA Network is international.

The cost of the up-link, from Saint Peter’s Basilica to the satellite, is borne by the Vatican. The cost of the down-link is borne by the individual TV networks, in each country, who carry the telecast. For the Philippines, and for other developing countries, the cost of the downlink is carried by the Vatican, with the help of the Knights of Columbus.

In the Philippines, the airtime is donated by the television networks as a public service to our people. The Mass and Message of the Holy Father is the most viewed religious program in the television industry.

The commentator, in English, is Archbishop John P. Foley, the President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communication. In the telecast he identifies all the celebrants on the high altar of Saint Peter’s Basilica, the servers, the Cardinals in attendance, many of the 150 priests who distribute Communion, the readers, those who say the prayers at the offertory, many of the Congregation who receive communion from the Holy Father, and all the international choirs who sing.

The Midnight Mass, and the Christmas Message to the City and to the world, are meant for all the children of God – Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Hebrews. John Paul II, for the last five years of his life, was begging everyone to break down the walls between us, to build bridges of friendship and love.

And the first encyclical of Benedict XVI was "God Is Love". Because of the wonders of modern communication, it is now possible for all of us to be united in mind and heart, and for one brief shinning moment to reach out to each other, and to reach up to God, the Father of us all.

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There is a daily texting service called: "One Minute with God."

You can reach it on Globe by texting; "Reuter@2978"

You can reach it on Smart by texting: "Reuter@326"