Speaking during Mass for the pope at the Manila Cathedral, Archbishop Charles Brown acknowledged the collective outpouring of prayer and support from the Filipino people, especially in recent months when the pontiff was gravely ill.
“I want to thank all of you, the Filipino people, for the prayers for our Holy Father, especially these last two months,” Brown said in his message.
He credited the pope’s brief recovery to the prayers of Catholics around the world, with special mention of the Philippines, home to Asia’s largest Catholic population.
“Please continue to pray for the Holy Father,” he urged the faithful. “Pray for his eternal repose.”
The Mass was presided over by Cardinal Jose Advincula, whom Pope Francis elevated to the cardinalate in November 2020 and appointed archbishop of Manila in March 2021.
In his homily, Advincula encouraged the faithful to embrace the late pope’s call to keep the Church a source of light and hope.
“At the conclusion of the synod last year, our dear Pope Francis challenged all of us to a mission. He said we should not be a blind church, but a church enlightened by Christ that brings the light of the Gospel to others,” Advincula said.
In addition to the special Mass, the cathedral designated a chapel for those wishing to light candles and offer prayers for the pope.
During his 2015 visit in the Philippines, the pope celebrated the Mass at the Manila Cathedral.
The Vatican said the pope died of a cerebral stroke that led to a coma and irreversible heart failure. He passed away early Monday morning at 7:35 a.m. Vatican time (1:35 p.m. in the Philippines).
The Holy See Press Office announced Tuesday that the pope’s funeral will take place Saturday, April 26, at 10 a.m. (4 p.m. in the Philippines) in St. Peter’s Square.
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, will preside at the funeral Mass, which will be concelebrated by patriarchs, cardinals, archbishops, bishops and priests from around the world.
The late pope’s body will then be taken into St. Peter’s Basilica before being transported to the Basilica of St. Mary Major for entombment.
