Photo. Catholic bishops convene for their 115th plenary assembly at the Pope Piux XII Center in Manila, July 8, 2017. ROY LAGARDE
Pope Francis has expressed his “prayerful solidarity” with the Filipino bishops as they gather for their plenary assembly in Manila.
Members of the Catholics Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) started their meeting at the Pope Piux XII Center on Saturday to discuss various Church and social concerns.
Among the agenda of the 3-day meeting include a discussion on the new priestly formation program and the challenges faced by the young people in preparation for next year’s Synod of Bishops.
The Pope said he is hoping that the meeting “may bear spiritual fruit and that you yourselves may grow in deeper faith, hope and charity”.
“In this way, together with your priests, you will encourage all young Filipinos to become ‘joyful messengers of challenging proposals [and] guardians of the goodness and beauty which shine forth in a life of fidelity to the Gospel,’” he said.
The pontiff’s message was relayed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, to CBCP President Archbishop Socrates Villegas.
The cardinals and bishops at the assembly are also expected to tackle social issues, including the ongoing crisis in Marawi City.
