Mercy and compassion will be the theme for Pope Francis’ visit to the Philippines next year, the country’s bishops’ conference revealed today.
The Church has also launched the official website for the visit, which is to take place from 15 to 19 of January next year.
Mylo Vergara, the Bishop of Pasig in Metro Manila, said the Pope’s visit could be considered “a visit from God”.
Francis will visit communities rebuilding their lives in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan, which hit in 2013. The typhoon killed 6,340 people, many of them Filipinos, and obliterated many central provinces in the Philippines.
Bishop Vergara, who is also the president of the bishops’ commission for Social Communication and the Media, urged Catholics in the Philippines to use social media to spread the Pope’s message of compassion.
“In this way mass media and social networks can become a powerful tool for us to practice works of mercy such as visiting prisoners, the sick and the elderly, especially showing compassion towards the poor," he said.
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