‘Visit Malabon church, receive God’s grace’

San Bartolome Church in Malabon City. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/PIO Malabon

MANILA, Philippines—Catholics who visit San Bartolome Church in Malabon City between now and May 2015, when the Greco-Roman temple-inspired church celebrates its 400th anniversary, will receive an extraordinary gift of faith from Pope Francis.

In a concelebrated Mass said to commemorate the church’s quadricentennial, Lingayen Archbishop Socrates Villegas read a decree from the Vatican, in which Pope Francis offered plenary indulgences to everyone who visits San Bartolome Church during its anniversary celebration.

“It means that all people who visit your church during this jubilee year will be given a plenary indulgence, provided that they have taken confession, communion, and prayed for the intentions of the Pope,” Villegas said.

In Catholic belief, a plenary indulgence is a grant that takes away the temporal punishment one receives here on earth or in purgatory for the sins one has committed.

Villegas said it was up to the faithful to prepare themselves to receive the indulgence and God’s grace.

“Let us pray that we may be worthy recipients of this indulgence,” he said.

Villegas led seven other archbishops and bishops and about 100 priests from the Archdiocese of Manila and the dioceses of Kalookan, Novaliches, Pasig, Cubao, Parañaque, Bulacan, Pampanga, San Jose, Cabanatuan, and priests from religious congregations such as the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans and La Salletes in celebrating the Mass.

In his homily, Villegas reflected on the 400 years of existence of San Bartolome Church, which was built by Augustinian friars in 1614. Then and now, the church—the biggest and tallest in the Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela area—dominates the Malabon skyline.

Villegas said the people of Malabon should be thankful for the gift of San Bartolome Church and how it has survived four centuries.

In a seeming reference to the now heavily decorated interiors of San Bartolome Church—brimming with ceiling and wall paintings, covered with gold leaf-covered fiberglass trimmings and glistening with lights—Villegas stressed that the most beautiful churches should be the people’s souls. Nathaniel R. Melican and Mark Ersan D. Ate

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