CEBU, Philippines - As the Gregorian Chant, a liturgical song of the Roman Catholic Church plays, lines of inmates in their orange uniform emerge from crowded prison cells and gather at the quadrangle of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center.
The chant continued until the cells were almost empty, then the official theme song of the Papal Visit, “We Are All God’s Children,” signaled the inmates to form a giant human cross.
These scenes are but part of a number 2,160 inmates of CPDRC will perform as a tribute for Pope Francis when he visits the Philippines next week.
The choreographer, Vince Rosales, explained that aside from the inmates’ way of welcoming the pope, the presentation will also serve as a message of thanksgiving.
Pope Francis will visit Tacloban on January 17 and offer a Mass near the city’s airport. He will then visit the Archdiocese of Palo in Leyte where he will share a lunch with the poor and survivors of natural calamities.
The 12-minute presentation of the inmates will be uploaded on YouTube with a hope that it will be viewed by the pope and that he will consider visiting Cebu, the cradle of Christianity in Asia.
“Kani siya nga paghimo sa dance, usa ni sa among plano nga mintras sayo-sayo pa, makita niya (Pope), mausab iyang itinerary. Kung di siya moanhi diri, mao na lang pod ni among pag-welcome niya,” Rosales said.
Rosales said it only took two days for them to complete and master the whole routine.
The inmates will perform the whole routine live morning on January 15 in time of Pope Francis’ scheduled arrival in Manila. The jail management has decided to open the presentation to the public.
One of those dancing will be 67-year-old Alberto Vergara who will be joining a presentation at the CPDRC for the first time.
He told The Freeman that aside from the dance as a form of exercise, his participation comes with a prayer that he would be freed from detention.
“Akong pag-ampo makalaya na unta ko diring dapita. Ma-desisyonan na unta atong kaso,” he said.
Vergara, a father of eight, has been behind bars for 14 years for murder charges. His wife died in 2002 in a car accident while on her way home after visiting him at CPDRC. — /JMO