Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia
DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental – Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia, the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, is set to visit the Diocese of Dumaguete from October 28 to 29, 2019.
The two-day pastoral visit was made possible through the invitation of Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres (SPC).
Bishop Jolito Cortes said that Caccia’s visit is timed with the 115th founding anniversary of St. Paul’s University on October 29th.
“The intention of the Nuncio was to tell them (SPC) that he didn’t just want to attend the founding anniversary but to have it as a pastoral visit,” Cortes said in a press conference that was held at the St. Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral Parish on Wednesday, October 23.
Cortes said that this was the first time for Caccia to visit the Diocese of Dumaguete. It was still in the early part of 2000 that the Diocese was also visited by His Excellency Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams, the Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain.
“We decided to make it a full-blown Pastoral Visit of the Nuncio. After all, he is the representative of the Holy Father, Pope Francis in the country,” Cortes said during the press conference.
The Nuncio’s pastoral visit, as the ambassador of the Holy See, is considered as the visit of Pope Francis himself, Cortes added.
“By being a representative of Pope Francis. He carries with him the blessing of the Holy Father, his solidarity and expression of union and solitude of the Holy Father in the particular Church of Dumaguete,” Cortes said.
During his visit, Caccia is also set to lead the inauguration of several projects that were implemented by the Diocese of Dumaguete. This includes the Muso Eclesiastico de Tanjay of St. James the Greater Parish, the first Diocesan museum, located in Tanjay City.
The museum will house at least 300 religious artifacts accumulated over the years since its institution on June 11, 1580. The parish is also the first and oldest in the entire Negros Island.
Caccia is also scheduled to visit the Mater Ecclesiae Building that will house the Propaedeutic or Pre-college program of St. Joseph Seminary College and the St. Augustine of Hippo Parish, a heritage church in the diocese known for their century-old Spanish Pipe Organ and newly restored sacristy.
He will also concelebrate Mass with Bishop Cortes at St. Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral Parish.
“Security will be tight during the visit,” said Fr. Bernie Lingcong, head for the Nuncio’s security visit.
Lingcong said that body frisking will be implemented at the entrance of the cathedral.
Huge screens will also be mounted outside the cathedral for those who can no longer be accommodated inside while a portion of the national highway, fronting the cathedral will also be closed to the vehicular traffic.
Organizers had invited local government and parish officials throughout the diocese to attend the mass. / dcb