Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 8) — Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula formally received the pallium at the Manila Cathedral Wednesday night.
The conferment, presided by Papal Nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown, coincides with the feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. During the ceremony, Brown said he is bestowing the sacred vestment on behalf of Pope Francis.
The pallium is a woolen band worn by popes and archbishops to symbolize their authority over their ecclesiastical province. It is usually given to new archbishops, representing a special bond between the pope and bishops.
Advincula was unable to fly to Rome and personally receive the pallium from the Pope in June due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
In his homily, Advincula said the pallium is a symbol of Pope Francis’ solidarity with the Filipino faithful.
“He sent us this pallium as a sign of confirming us in faith and supporting us in mission and ministry here in the ecclesiastical province of Manila. Pope Francis remembers well our local church. He loves and cares for us,” he said.
Advincula also called on the Filipino faithful to pray for him and join him in the journey to becoming a missionary church and synodality. He says the Lord emphasizes listening and growing together as a way of shepherding the faithful.
“As pastors, we bear the lambs upon our shoulders so that we can carry them to the Lord’s shepherd. This is the synodal ministry of the bishop who walks neither ahead but along with them, right beside them, feeling their sentiments and understanding their experiences together on the road to our common destiny which is the kingdom of God,” he said.
Advincula was formally installed as Manila archbishop in a scaled-down ceremony in Intramuros in June.
The Manila archdiocese is the largest ecclesiastical province in the country, covering the cities of Manila, San Juan, Pasay, Mandaluyong, and Makati.
