CBCP shows how to tell Lorenzo Ruiz from Pedro Calungsod
MANILA, Philippines—Do not confuse Blessed Pedro Calungsod with San Lorenzo Ruiz.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines on Saturday pointed out some of the differences in the images of the teenage Visayan martyr, who will be canonized in Rome on October 21, and the first Filipino saint, to help the faithful more easily distinguish between them.
Many Filipinos remain unfamiliar with Calungsod, who died without leaving any record of how he looked, and has often been mistaken as Ruiz, the CBCP said, adding that in many churches, both images are found.
Ruiz was canonized in 1987. His statue typically depicts him in a white barong tagalog and black pants. Most of his images show Lorenzo clasping his hands around a rosary.
On the other hand, Calungsod’s statues depict him in clothes almost similar to Ruiz’s but have him holding palm leaves and the Doctrina Christiana or Book of Catechism.
“There are three things that will help you distinguish his (Calungsod) statue or portrait from that of Lorenzo,” said Fr. Marvin Mejia, assistant secretary general of the CBCP, pointing to Calunsod’s portrait and statue, which he said, were products of artists’ interpretations.
“Blessed Calungsod doesn’t look Chinese, while Lorenzo Ruiz has Chinese distinction,” he said. “Second, he is holding a book and a palm depicting his being a catechist with the Doctrina Christiana and the palm leaves, his martyrdom.”
“Lastly, notice that Calungsod’s feet are not positioned firmly on the ground. One of his feet is slightly raised because it shows his being a young man on the move since he was a missionary. It shows his dynamism,” Mejia added.
The CBCP official also revealed that a two-footed version of the wooden image of Calungsod will be brought to Rome for the canonization rites.
Calungsod was among the first to serve on a Jesuit mission organized by Fr. Diego de San Vitores in the Ladrones Islands in the Western Pacific, now the Marianas, on June 16, 1668.
On April 2, 1672, he and Fr. Diego were killed by two villagers in Tumhon, Guam, after baptizing some natives.
