Palma hopeful on Pope’s Cebu visit

CEBU, Philippines - After arriving from Rome, local church authorities are hopeful that Pope Francis will include a Philippine visit during the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) in Cebu on 2016.

Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, who just arrived from Rome and attended the meeting for the big event on 2016 in Cebu, said that the Pope’s visit in Cebu was part of their agenda in the meeting.

“In the meeting, us in the committee which prepares for the schedule hopes that the Philippine visit will be the priority,” Palma told The Freeman during the art exhibit on Kaplag at the SM City Cebu Art Center, yesterday.

However, he added that the definitive decision will be known most likely a year before the event. They had already decided on the schedule of the said congress which will be on May 23-29, 2016 with the theme “Christ in You: Our Hope of Glory”.

“Basically we can proceed with the next steps which are among others, to choose the logo of the congress as well as the theme song,” Palma said.

He also added that the president of the committee on the IEC is expected to come over in September to conduct an ocular inspection of Cebu.

“Ampo kita nga with his coming, things will be better assessed and that we can make a better preparation,” Palma said.         

Yesterday, an art exhibit was opened with the theme, “Kaplag: Expressing the Face of Jesus in Art in the Year of Faith 2013.” It is by Fr. Dominador Besares, OSA, and will run until May 12.

This is Besares’ third solo exhibit in cooperation with SM City Cebu and the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño to commemorate the 448th anniversary of the finding of the image of the Santo Niño de Cebu.

The exhibit of 27 art works, all 27 of them featuring the Santo Niño de Cebu in various Cebu churches’ architectural details, is the culminating activity that the Augustinian Fathers put up to mark the 448th Kaplag celebration.

Besares told The Freeman that it took three years for him to come up with all the art works he displayed in the said exhibit, which are all new.

In his introduction, Fray Louie Nacorda, OAD said that Besares first realized his inclination towards art as a seminarian in the oldest existing church building in the Philippines, the Monasterio Real de San Pablo de los Padres Agustinos, also known as the San Agustin Church in Intramuros, Manila.

Besares then developed his artistic skills by studying at Philippine Women’s University, Institute of Fine Arts and Design. He also attended a one-month training in Filipino painting at the National Museum in Manila and later on attended basic and advanced seminars on photography at the workshops conducted by the Federation of Philippine Photographers Foundation, based in another historic site, the Fort Santiago Park in Manila.

His missionary work as priest brought him to Milan, Italy and to New South Wales, Australia “where his artistic sensibilities were further enhanced by two disparate cultures namely, Milan with its Renaissance and Classical art and New South Wales, with its modern and contemporary artistic temperament.”

He is now based in the Augustinian seminary in Mojon, Talisay City.

Palma bought the most expensive painting in the exhibit as confirmed by Nacorda, the painting of the Holy Family made of “lagang” or known as the Mother of Pearl shaped into a flower, worth P20,000.

Palma congratulated Besares for the magnificent job as the latter did not only portray something beautiful but also sublime. Palma also acknowledged and is grateful to The Freeman’s Chairman Jose “Dodong” Gullas and his wife Nena for their  all-out support for the said exhibit. – (FREEMAN)