Bishops in the Philippines will
consecrate the country to Mary
 |
| National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, Valenzuela City, Philippines |
On the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, all of the Bishops of
the Philippines will join in consecrating the country to Mary in their own
respective cathedrals.
By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp
As the coronavirus continues to claim lives in the
Philippines, the Bishops will consecrate the country to the Immaculate Heart of
Mary on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, 13 May.
The consecration was announced by the President of the
Philippine Episcopal Conference (CBCP) in a letter sent to all the dioceses on
April 27. In it, Archbishop Romulo Valles says that “this is a wonderful
initiative”.
This consecration is reminiscent of previous consecrations
of the Philippines to Mary. During the Year of Faith, the CBCP consecrated the
Philippines to Mary’s Immaculate Heart.
Details of consecration in Manila
In the Archdiocese of Manila, the consecration will be
preceded by instructions regarding the meaning of the consecration. A triduum
of penance and the recitation of the Rosary will begin on 10 May. This
preparation will then culminate on 13 May with the actual communal
consecration.
It will be Bishop Broderick Pabillo who will lead the
consecration in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, which is also a
Minor Basilica. Bishop Pabillo is an Auxiliary Bishop in the Archdiocese. He
currently serves as Apostolic Administrator since Cardinal Tagle’s appointment
as Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples earlier this
year. The mayors of five neighbouring cities will join him.
“It will be beautiful when all the people God, led by their
civil and religious leaders, put themselves under the protection of the Blessed
Virgin,” Pabillo said.
Asking for Mary’s help
“We do this to implore the protection of the powerful
intercession of our Blessed Mother in this difficult time, especially as we
move to the transition to a new way of life after the quarantine,” Pabillo
added. “We need strength from above, and we have a powerful intercessor in Mama
Mary to get that heavenly help,” he also said.
Coronavirus in the Philippines
As of Friday, the Philippines had registered 8,488
coronavirus cases. 568 people had died from it, and 1,043 people had recovered.
The Philippines recorded its first case on 5 March. The first death outside of
China, a person who had traveled to the Philippines, took place there at the
beginning of February.
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