Scammers targeting Pope visit

Their schemes detected by no less than The Vatican, some scalpers and scammers might just have a special place in hell.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Friday warned the public against unscrupulous groups selling “tickets” for events related to the Philippine visit of Pope Francis in January next year. It stressed that those who wish to attend the papal events would get free admission.

The CBCP issued the warning after the Papal Nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto, informed the Church hierarchy about the ongoing racket, according to CBCP News, the official news service of the organization.

“It is regrettable that some cabal might wish to take advantage of the papal visit to exploit innocent people and enrich themselves,” Pinto wrote in a letter dated July 8 and addressed to the CBCP president, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas.

“No tickets will be sold for any of the papal gatherings … [The CBCP] should persuade people to desist from purchasing such tickets,” Pinto added.

The CBCP Media Office launched a smartphone app that will provide mobile phone users with updates about the Church and the upcoming papal visit.

“We expect a wider audience because of this,” Msgr. Pedro Quitorio, CBCP media office director, told reporters.

The CBCP News app will be readily available for download on the iPhone App and Android Stores in August.

The CBCP has yet to disclose the exact date of the Pope’s arrival, pending an announcement from The Vatican.

But Msgr. Nevin Perera, coordinator of Sri Lankan migrants in Italy, was quoted by the Catholic News Agency as saying that the Pope would be flying to the Philippines on Jan. 15 after a two-day trip to Sri Lanka.