The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila is in the thick of preparations for activities leading to and after the installation of Cardinal Jose Advincula as 33rd Manila archbishop on June 24.
The RCAM said the events will be planned with adherence to restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This will ensure that while the different groups and sectors in the Archdiocese of Manila are given a chance to welcome the new Archbishop, health protocols are strictly observed,” a statement issued yesterday read.
All participants and guests will be identified beforehand so as not to exceed the allowed number of persons in the venues.
The Solemn Installation and Mass will start 9 a.m. at the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros, coinciding with the Solemnity of the Birth of St. John the Baptist, and the 450th anniversary of the founding the City of Manila and of the first parish in Manila that later became the Manila Cathedral.
Pope Francis appointed Advincula, former bishop of the Diocese of San Carlos in Negros, on March 25 to replace Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, who now serves as prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
Manila has been without an archbishop since February 2020, when Tagle left for his Vatican assignment.
The 69-year-old Advincula, from Capiz, will be formally welcomed by Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso and the Intramuros Administration at the Postigo Gate, the entrance to the Walled City as Intramuros is known, at 8 a.m.
At 8:30 a.m., there will be a Civic Ceremony at the Ayuntamiento, the old City Hall of Manila that now houses the Bureau of the Treasury, with the mayors of Manila, Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasay, and San Juan.
The Mass will be attended by bishops, the clergy of the archdioceses of Manila and Capiz, government officials, representatives of the religious, Council of the Laity of RCAM, and family and guests of the cardinal.
The rite will include the reading of the Apostolic Letter from Pope Francis, and the renewal of the priestly promises of the clergy of Manila.
Advincula will deliver the homily.
The events will be aired on cable channels TV Maria on Sky Cable channel 210, Cignal cable channel 188, Cablelink channel 18, and Sat lite channel 102, and livestreamed on the Facebook pages and YouTube channels of the Archdiocesan Office of Communications, TV Maria, Radio Veritas, Manila Cathedral, and all RCAM parishes.*PNA
