A painting by a Filipino artist will be given to Pope Francis for the celebration of the 500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines.
In a report on Thursday, the church-run Radio Veritas quoted Fr. Ricky Gente, chaplain of the Filipino community in Rome, as saying the masterpiece of Ryan Carreon Aragon would be given as a gift to the Pope who will lead the Holy Mass for the Philippines’ Christianity quincentennial celebration this weekend.
The Mass will be held at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican at 10 a.m. on Sunday (5 p.m. Manila time).
It added that Aragon’s painting was among the entries for the Quincentennial Painting Competition.
In the painting, Magellan is seen giving the statue of the Sto. Niño to Hara Humanay or Doña Juana for accepting the Christian faith after being baptized by the missionaries.
At the same time, the Center of Filipino Chaplaincy urged overseas Filipino workers in Rome and other countries to participate in the Mass through live-streaming since only 100 people are allowed in the Basilica.
Pope Francis will be joined by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Prefect of Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, and Cardinal Angelo de Donatis, Vicar of the pontiff in Rome.