P50M to be spent for Calungsod canonization

Saturday, February 11, 2012

CEBU CITY -- At least P50 million in funds is being raised for the canonization of the Visayan martyr Pedro Calungsod, an official said.

The amount is double than that spent for Calungsod beatification in 2000.

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Mariquita Salimbangon-Yeung, co-chairperson of the activities for Calungsod’s canonization, said that of the amount, P30 million will be spent for the preparations in Rome.

A committee has been created to coordinate with the Filipino communities and pilgrims in Rome. Filipinos there will be educated about Calungsod’s canonization.

Yeung said the remaining P20 million will be used to cover the expenses for the local celebration of Calungsod’s canonization.

“It will be a very big celebration. It will be bigger than the Sinulog,” she said.

Pope Benedict XVI will lead the voting for the canonization of seven blessed persons during the consistory of cardinals this weekend in Rome.

The Vatican Information Service said a ceremony will be held in St. Peter’s Basilica on Feb. 18 to celebrate the public consistory for the creation of 22 new cardinals during a liturgical ceremony.

After the activity, the Pontiff will celebrate an ordinary public consistory for the canonization of Filipino lay catechist and martyr Blessed Pedro Calungsod and six other religious men and women.

“This means that when the cardinals gather in Rome they will cast their votes in the confirmation of the blesseds,” Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma said.

“Then we believe the date will be determined,” he said.

The votation of the cardinals is the last official step before the name of a blessed would be included in the list of saints through a process called canonization.

After this, veneration to Calungsod can be done.

Calungsod was a teenaged catechist who accompanied Jesuit priest Diego de San Vitores in Guam in the 1600s. They were killed by the natives after baptizing a local child.

Calungsod was beatified in March 2000 by Blessed Pope John Paul II.

Yeung said they have started raising the funds for the celebration.

Archbishop Emeritus of Cebu Ricardo Cardinal Vidal earlier said the canonization of Calungsod will be celebrated nationwide.

He said three committees had been formed to handle the nationwide celebration. One will be in Manila, and another in Cebu and Mindanao.

The Archdiocese of Cebu expects local, national and international guests.

The canonization followed a decree by Pope Benedict XVI in December 2011 that credited miraculous healings to Calungsod. (PDF/BAP of Sun.Star Cebu)