CEBU Archbishop Jose Palma is not soliciting funds for the celebration of the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines.

A statement from the Archdiocese of Cebu said that email coming from the address “jspcebu@outlook.com” does not belong to the archbishop or to the Archdiocese of Cebu.

“We do not ask and never solicit funds from different institutions without the prior knowledge, formal consent, and definite authorization from the Archbishop himself,” the Cebu Archdiocese said in a statement.

The urgent disclaimer was issued after the Archdiocese of Cebu received reports Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019 that unknown persons have been sending email using Palma’s name to solicit funds for the big Catholic Church celebration in Cebu in 2021.

When the intended donor replied to the email, the sender used an email address different from that supposedly of the Archdiocese of Cebu, Archdiocesan spokesman Msgr. Joseph Tan said.

The email sender was soliciting cash, Tan said.

Tan advised those who have received such email to report this to the Archdiocese of Cebu.

The Archdiocese of Cebu secretary has changed passwords of its email accounts.

Meanwhile, preparations for the 2021 Visayas Quincentennial Celebration are afoot.

Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino has created the Visayas Quincentennial committee to manage activities related to the celebration.

Dino is the alternate chair of the National Quincentennial Committee.

The Visayas Quincentennial committee is headed by Kenneth Cobonpue, co-chairman of the Regional Development Council. (HBL, PR)