Church tells public: No tickets needed for papal visit events

Pope Francis. AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Bad news for scalpers: events and gatherings prepared for the visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines in January will be free for all.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines warned the public Friday about unscrupulous groups already selling tickets for the papal visit, saying that those interested to attend the papal events will get free admission.

The CBCP sent out the warning after the Papal nuncio in the Philippines, Archbishop Guiseppe Pinto, informed the Church hierarchy about the ongoing racket, according to CBCP News, the official news service of the bishops’ organization.

In a letter dated July 8 addressed to CBCP president Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, Pinto said the Apostolic Nunciature had  come across “unpleasant information” that  some groups were already peddling tickets for the various events being set up for the papal visit.

“It is regrettable that some cabal might wish to take advantage of the papal visit to exploit innocent people and enrich themselves,” wrote Pinto.

He urged Villegas to inform Filipinos anticipating the visit of Pope Francis that they can attend the papal events for free. “No tickets will be sold for any of the papal gatherings…[the CBCP] should persuade people to desist from purchasing such tickets,” he said.

The papal nuncio also suggested that the CBCP “use every possible channel” and its media facilities to inform everyone of the information.

Spreading such news to the public is expected to be easier and faster following the launching by the CBCP Media Office of 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, especially in view of the coming big event in January,” 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, said Quitorio.

Early this month, the 120-strong Church organization formally announced the visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines in January 2015, saying that the objective of the visit was mainly to give comfort to those affected by the back-to-back disasters—the earthquake and Typhoon Yolanda—that hit the Visayas late last year.

The CBCP, however, did not disclose the exact date of the pope’s arrival, pending formal announcement by the Vatican.

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