Where to see, hear Pope Francis’ Mass for 500 years of Christianity in PH

Pope Francis  (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP)

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino Catholics can see and hear the Holy Mass to be presided by Pope Francis in celebration of the 500th year of Christianity in the Philippines via various online platforms and cable TV channels on Sunday.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only a limited number of people will be allowed to physically attend the Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City at 10 a.m. (5 p.m. in Manila) on Sunday, March 14.

The Mass will also be aired at 10 a.m. in Rome, 12 noon in Qatar, 1a.m. in the US West Coast and 5a.m. in the Us East Coast.

The eucharistic celebration will be streamed live from the Vatican to reach millions of Filipinos in different parts of the world, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said.

Filipinos can see and hear the Mass which will be live streamed on the TV Facebook page, as well as the following cable channels: 

• Sky Cable Channel 210 (TV Maria)
• SatLite Channel 102
• Destiny Cable Channel 96
• Cablelink Channel 18
• CIGNAL Channel 188
• ABS CBN TV Plus Channel 29
• GMA Affordabox Channel 21

Pope Francis will also be joined by Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, and Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, the pope’s vicar of Rome, in the eucharistic celebration. 

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, then Manila Archbishop, with Pope Francis during the pontiff’s visit to the Philippines in 2015. (INQUIRER file photo / EDWIN BACASMAS)

Mass participants may also download the Mass booklet online (https://pcfroma.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/210312-Pope-Francis-March-14-Mass-booklet.pdf)  which has texts and songs in Italian, English, Filipino, Cebuano and Latin. 

 Fr. Greg Gaston of the Pontificio Colegio Filippino said Pope Francis is scheduled to pray the Angelus at 12 noon. 

“He usually mentions the occasion for the Mass held earlier, and greets the people on the Piazza. Those in Rome, let us bring Philippine flags to greet him too. The Angelus will be televised and streamed online, so our friends and relatives might see us back home,” Gaston said.

Those who will join the Mass physically, meanwhile, are encouraged to wear their masks and maintain social distancing, as well as to bring their jacket and an umbrella in case it rains.

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