Leyte parishes start listup for papal Mass in Tacloban

PALO, Leyte—The parishes in the Archdiocese of Palo have started the registration for people who want to attend the Mass to be celebrated by Pope Francis at the Tacloban airport in January.

The Archdiocese of Palo covers Leyte province, which has 78 parishes, with the Dioceses of Calbayog in Samar province, Borongan in Eastern Samar province, Catarman in Northern Samar province and Naval in Biliran province as its suffragans.

Rev. Amadeo Alvero, information and social communications director of the archdiocese, said on Monday that each parish was entitled to 1,000 delegates.

Local officials, too

Alvero said the registration started on Saturday in all the parishes in the archdiocese.

“Local government officials are also supposed to enlist in their parishes,” Alvero said.

The registration of local officials underscores the message of the Pope’s visit of not giving importance to VIPs.

Leyte Gov. Leopoldo Dominico Petilla, Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez and Palo Mayor Remedios Petilla are the only elected officials who will meet the Pope upon his arrival at the Tacloban airport.

Huge crowd expected

After Mass at the airport, the Pope will visit the nearby town of Palo, where he will have lunch with 30 survivors of Super Typhoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) at the Archbishop’s Palace and bless a center for the poor named after him.

The archdiocese expects 120,000 people to attend the Mass.

Rev. Chris Militante, information officer of the archdiocese, said the area where the Pope would say Mass would be opened as early as 2 a.m. on Jan. 17.

The Mass will start at 10 a.m.

“And three hours before the Mass, there will be no movement [among the people there],” Militante said.

Area for elderly, PWD

People who are suffering from physical disabilities and the elderly are advised not to attend the Mass because of the huge crowd expected.

“They are advised to enlist in their parishes [so] they will stay in an area at Pope Francis Center for the Poor,” Militante said.