It’s final.
Pope Francis won’t return to the Philippines for the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) in Cebu City in January 2016.
The Holy Father, however, will send his representative during the week-long gathering, said Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
“He is not coming. That’s sure already,” the prelate said in a report posted at the official website of the CBCP.
Although he has yet to receive the official communication regarding the matter, Villegas said the Vatican has already hinted that an envoy will be coming to Cebu City to attend the IEC on January 24 to 31, 2016.
“The sending of a papal envoy (is like saying) ‘I’m there with you’,” the re-elected CBCP president said.
Msgr. Joseph Tan, media liaison officer of the Archdiocese of Cebu, said they did their best to bring Pope Francis back to the country for the IEC which is expected to draw about 15,000 delegates from different parts of the world.
Tan said the Pontiff might need to visit other countries which likewise needs his presence.
“In a way, it (Pope not attending the IEC) was something we expected. We were actually hoping against hope,” Tan told CDN over the phone.
“Humanly speaking, there are disappointments. We could not avoid people getting dismayed. But these are natural human sentiments. The bottomline is if you love the Holy Father, you will love everything about the Church, and that includes our faithfulness in doing our responsibilities for the IEC,” he added.
Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma however said he respects the decision of Pope Francis.
“Under usual circumstance, never did it happen that a pope visits a country this year and will return the following year. I trust the wisdom of the Holy Father for that is God’s inspiration to him. His visit to the Philippines last January was already very memorable. It was a sign of his being a shepherd; an expression of love for victims of calamities. All those events are forever part of our wonderful memories of the pope,” Palma said.
The decision of the Holy Pontiff however did not dampen the spirits of the organizers.
“The (pope’s decision not to return to the country for the IEC) does not at all lessen our enthusiasm. The IEC is an opportunity to give glory to God. Others are saying that if the pope comes, people will attend the IEC because of the pope, and not because of Jesus,” the prelate said.
At the end of the congress, during the statio orbis or closing Mass at the South Road Properties, Pope Francis is expected to deliver a message in a live satellite feed from Rome, Tan said.
“He will give us his greetings (and blessing), and announce where the next IEC will be held. In a way, the Holy Father will still be present (during the IEC),” he told CDN.