Over 30 thousand join Solemnity of Christ the King procession
No untoward incident with oversized crowd, preview to 2016 Int’l Eucharistic Congress
STILL THE KING. Amid widespread secularization, Cebuano faithful reaffirm Christ as the king of humankind in the Feast of the Solemnity of Christ the King Mass and procession. (CDN PHOTO/ CHRISTIAN MANINGO)
Cebu’s faithful showed that the city is the cradle of Christianity in the country as tens of thousands flocked the streets yesterday for the Feast of the Solemnity of Christ the King procession.
Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak, head of the city’s command center, said the crowd reached more than 30,000 or double the 15,000 people expected by the organizers.
Despite the huge crowd and road closures, traffic remained manageable in the city “because people were properly informed,” said Tumulak.
No untoward incidents were reported during the celebration, which organizers say was a “dry run” to the International Eucharistic Congress that Cebu will host in 2016.
Most Rev. Antonio Rañola, the Apostolic Administrator of Gumaca, was taken to an ambulance near Metro Gaisano in Colon Street after the 82-year-old prelate got tired of walking.
In his homily, Palma thanked the Cebuanos for hearing the mass. He also thanked Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III for allowing use of the Capitol grounds for the Mass.
Authorities closed Escario St. at noon followed by the closure of a portion of Osmeña Boulevard from the Capitol grounds to the Fuente Osmeña circle at 2 p.m. People started to converge in the area at 3 p.m., an hour before the mass.
Procession
Palma carried the monstrance from the altar and placed it on a carroza decorated with white flowers after the Mass.
A monstrance, also known as ostensorium (or ostensory), is the vessel used in Roman Catholic churches for the more convenient exhibition of some object of piety, such as the consecrated Eucharistic host during Eucharistic adoration or Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.
About a hundred priests, Marian devotees and other faithfuls followed. Cebu City mayor Michael Rama also joined the four-kilometer procession.
As the head of the procession reached Fuente Osmeña circle at around 5:30 p.m. the monstrance was still near the Capitol compound.
People lit candles and joined in the reciting of prayers while they walked, making the celebration solemn.
At about, 5:45 p.m. the head of procession already reached Department of Health compound at Jones Ave. but monstrance was still in front of Cebu Doctors Hospital. Tumulak said the crowd reached to about 33,000 at 6 p.m.
The procession reached Plaza Independencia at about 7 p.m. after which Archbishop Palma led the Solemn Benefiction.
The crowd further increased to around 33,000 when the procession started.
Cebu City’s command center used its CCTVs, a digital procession route and Google map to monitor the movement of the procession.
Emergency response personnel also manned computers and communication equipment for the immediate dispatch of emergency personnel.
But despite the gathering of a huge crowd, traffic remained manageable in the city.
Personnel from the Depart of Public Services (DPS) were immediately deployed to clean up the procession route.
Palma said in an interview after the activity that the gathering was a “display of faith” of the Cebuanos.
“It’s a public manifestation of faith,” he added.
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