Pope Francis To Lead First Simbang Gabi At The Vatican On Dec. 15
POPE FRANCIS – Pope Francis is going to lead the Simbang Gabi or Misa de Galio at the Vatican come on December 15.
This would be the first time a Pope would preside over the Traditional mass for the Filipino community. In addition, 150 other priests will concelebrate the mass.
Based on an article from CNN, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) stated that St. Peter’s Basilica hosted the mass for Filipino before. Also, Fr. Ricky Gente of the Filipino Chaplaincy in Rome confirmed the report.
As per the article, the Basilica will have open doors for over 7,500 churchgoers for the celebration. The CBCP said the ambassador to the Holy SEE Grace Relucio-Princesa along with the country’s envoy to Italy Domingo Nolasco would also concelebrate with 150 other priests.
The CBCP stated that the mass would start at 4:30 p.m. (10:30 p.m. in the Philippines) at St. Peter’s Basilica. Misa de Galio or Simbang Gabi consists of nine dawn masses on the days which lead up to Christmas.
The Mass is one of the most deep-rooted traditions of Christmas in the Philippines. Millions of Filipinos flock to the church in celebration of this.
It begins on December 16 and ends at midnight on the 24th of December, when a midnight mass is held. This tradition was introduced by the Spanish friars to allow the farmers to hear mass before going to the fields early in the morning.
The masses would start as early as 4 a.m. in the morning. Simbang Gabi is also known by its popular Spanish name, Misa de Gallo, or “Mass of the Rooster.”
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