The head of the Catholic bishops in the country believes that the EDSA Shrine, a historic landmark built in remembrance of the 1986 bloodless revolution that toppled the Marcos dictatorship, may be declared a “national shrine”.
“Why not?” said Bishop Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, during Mass at the shrine to mark the 38th anniversary of the popular people power uprising on Feb. 25.
“EDSA Shrine is not just a shrine for the Archdiocese of Manila, but of the entire Philippines,” he pointed out.
The Archdiocesan Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace on EDSA was built in 1989 to commemorate the Feb. 25, 1986 people power revolution.
The shrine was also the site for the second peaceful demonstration that overthrew former president Joseph Estrada in 2001.
Edsa Shrine Rector Fr. Jerome Secillano welcomed the bishop’s statement, as they had long planned to apply for the national shrine status.
“We are grateful with your (David) statement that the EDSA Shrine can become a national shrine,” Secillano said.
Secillano said the EDSA Shrine has been an “archdiocesan shrine” since its establishment in 1989.
The CBCP has the pastoral oversight for national shrines, and its approval is required for a shrine to be designated national.