Pope Francis kicks off Rome’s celebration of the 500th year of Christianity in the Philippines with a Mass at Saint Peter’s Basilica this Sunday, March 14.

The Mass is the fruit of years’ worth of work, according to Father Ricky Gente, chaplain of the Sentro Pilipino Chaplaincy in Rome, in an interview with Dominus Est, a Catholic website.

Gente had previously asked the Pope at a Simbang Gabi Mass if he could celebrate a Mass for the quincentennial. “Sabi niya, walang problema, i-update mo lang ako, pagka-malapit na, at saka ako na ang bahala, (He said it was no problem, just update me if it is already near and I will take care of it),” Gente said.

In 2019, Pope Francis was the first pope to lead a “Simbang Gabi” Mass for the Filipino community in Rome.

“Hindi lahat ng request po ay naaaprubahan dahil araw-araw, thousands of requests, prayers, at petitions na dumarating sa Santo Papa. Kaya milagro at isang napaka-magandang handog ang ibinigay na mabigyang-pansin ng Santo Papa. (Not all requests are granted because every day, the Holy Father receives thousands of requests, prayers, and petitions. The fact that our request was recognized by the Holy Father is a miracle and wonderful gift),” Gente told Dominus Est.

For Gente, the Mass is a manifestation of the Pope’s “special” love for Filipinos. During his 2015 visit to the Philippines, Francis included Tacloban City, which was still reeling from Super Typhoon Yolanda, in his itinerary.

“Naging bahagi ka ng aming kasaysayan, naging bahagi ka ng kuwento ng buhay ng Pilipino na umaasang umahon mula sa mga nagdaang delubyo. (You have become a part of our history, you have become a part of our story as Filipinos who are hoping to rise after the storm),” Gente told the Pope.

Sunday’s celebration is also a recognition of the almost 170,000-strong Filipino migrant community in Italy, which has the second-highest concentration of Filipinos in Europe, according to Gente. There are around 67,000 Filipinos in Rome alone, according to Gente.

For those in the Philippines, the Mass will be streamed live at 5 pm on various outlets, including Rappler.

Here are some things to watch out for at the Mass, according to a briefer provided by Gente, Father Greg Gaston, rector of the Pontificio Collegio Filippino in Rome, as well as an interview on Catholic website Dominus Est last Friday, March 12:

Who’s who at the Mass

• Only 100 people will be allowed to attend the Mass inside, which will be held at the Altar of the Chair of Saint Peter instead of the basilica’s main altar, according to Gente in an interview over church-run Radyo Veritas.
• Dress code for the Mass will be Filipiniana, according to Sally Manila, head of the Sentro Pilipino’s worship committee.
• There will only be 10 priests who will celebrate Mass with the Pope, including Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and former archbishop of Manila, and Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, the Pope’s vicar for Rome.
• Father Resty Ogsimer, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerants, will represent the office’s chairperson Balanga Bishop Ruperto Santos. Santos was supposed to be the Philippine representative, according to Gente. Santos, who had been previously assigned in Rome, was former coordinator of the Italian Bishop’s Conference for Pastoral Care of Filipino Migrants in Italy.
• Filipinos in Rome can also follow the Mass through the widescreens placed at the piazza outside the basilica.
• After the Mass, the Pope will greet well-wishers at Saint Peter’s Square, and bless them for the noon Angelus prayer. The Sentro Pilipino Chaplaincy asks those going to Saint Peter’s to bring Philippine flags, as well as to wear masks and maintain social distancing.

Prayers and songs

• The Mass will be said in 3 languages, namely Italian, English, and Filipino. Those who wish to follow the text of the Mass can download the missal here.
• As a nod to Philippine Christianity’s origins, some songs will be sung in Cebuano. The opening hymn will be the “Gozos,” also known as Bato Balani sa Gugma, a popular devotional song for the Santo Niño de Cebu. An image of the Santo Niño will be carried during the procession as attendees wave white scarves, according to Manila.
• “Maria, Rayna sa Pilipinas” (Mary, Queen of the Philippines), a Cebuano hymn will be sung as a closing hymn.
• According to Manila, a boy and a girl dressed as the Santo Niño will be making a floral offering to an image of the Virgin Mary during the offertory part of the Mass. A painting by artist Ryan Carreon Aragon depicting Hara Humanay (Doña Juana) receiving the Santo Niño from Ferdinand Magellan 500 years ago in Cebu will also be presented to Pope Francis.
• Songs from the Pope’s 2015 visit to the Philippines will also be sung, including “Alay sa Diyos” and “Iesu, Panis Vitae.”
• “We Give Our Yes,” the official theme song of the 500th Year of Christianity in the Philippines celebration will be sung as a recessional hymn.

The Mass with Pope Francis is only the start of activities in Rome for the quincentennial celebrations. 

On April 4, Cardinal Tagle will lead the Easter Sunday Mass for the Filipino community from Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome, Dominus Est reported.

There is also a planned Santacruzan floral “sagala” procession this May in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. – Rappler.com