When Pope Francis visits the country on Jan. 15 to 19 next year, there will be ‘no tickets’ distributed or sold for people to attend papal events.
A Vatican representative yesterday warned Filipinos not to believe parties who offer tickets for sale.
“The attention of this Apostolic Nunciature has been drawn to a very unpleasant information regarding some groups already selling tickets for the the Masses and various events scheduled during the visit of the Holy Father to the Philippines,” said Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto, the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, in a letter to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
Pinto requested the CBCP to help him announce that “no tickets will be sold for any papal gatherings, and to persuade people to desist from buying them.”
“It is regrettable that some might wish to take advantage of the papal visit to exploit innocent people and enrich themselves,” the papal nuncio said. Pope Francis is scheduled to spend time with victims of supertyphoon Yolanda.
Itinerary
His trip to Leyte on Jan. 17 will include an open air Mass at the Tacloban airport and the blessing of the cathedral.
The Holy Father is also set to dine with at least 30 persons who lost their loved ones during supertyphoon Yolanda and the Bohol earthquake.
The pope’s complete itinerary will be announced later this year.
Cebuanos continue to hope that Pope Francis will also visit the Queen City of the South since his Philippine trip falls on the week of the Feast of the Sto. Niño. But, so far, only Manila and Leyte are mentioned, said Palo Archbishop John Du.
On Nov. 8, 2013, supertyphoon Yolanda devastated the eastern part of the Visayas, leaving 6,300 people dead while 1,060 more are listed missing.
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