Bilibid inmate offers wood burning portrait to Pope Francis | Global News

Bilibid inmate offers wood burning portrait to Pope Francis

/ 03:59 PM January 12, 2015

Fr. Anton Pascual presents a wood burning portrait of Pope Francis created by an inmate of the New Bilibid Prison. Photo by Kristine Angeli Sabillo/INQUIRER.net

Fr. Anton Pascual presents a wood burning portrait of Pope Francis created by an inmate of the New Bilibid Prison. Photo by Kristine Angeli Sabillo/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines–As a gift to Pope Francis when he visits the Philippines, an inmate at the maximum security compound of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) sent a portrait of the pontiff made from burnt plywood.

The piece of art was created by Ariel Cabiluna and presented to the media by Fr. Anton Pascual on Monday during a press briefing on the papal visit.

Article continues after this advertisement

Pascual said Cabiluna is one of the inmates participating in Caritas Manila’s livelihood project.

FEATURED STORIES

He said similar artworks are often sold outside the penitentiary to help the inmates earn money for their basic necessities.

“They said they cannot leave the prison to see the pope. But they’ll be happy if the pope takes a picture with the portrait,” Pascual said.

Article continues after this advertisement

The priest said they will try to present it to Pope Francis during his visit to the Philippines or send it directly to Rome.

Article continues after this advertisement

“This was not commissioned. It was created out of the goodness of their hearts,” he said.

Article continues after this advertisement

Pascual said it took Cabiluna two weeks to finish the portrait, which was created through pyrography or the art of wood burning. He based it only on a photocopy of Pope Francis’ image.

The painting, which bore Cabiluna’s identification number inside the NBP and the date of completion (December 12, 2014), has a smaller version that is being kept by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle.

Article continues after this advertisement

RELATED STORIES

Archbishop invites Filipinos to fiesta with Pope Francis

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

Bilibid designers showcase gown creations in fashion show

TAGS: Anton Pascual, New Bilibid Prison, papal visit, Pope Francis

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.