Pilgrims flock to jubilee churches ahead of Holy Week

Pilgrims have started to flock to jubilee churches ahead of the Holy Week in order to reflect on the ongoing Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, a report on 24 Oras said.

Usherettes at the Archdiocesan Shrine of Divine Mercy in Mandaluyong said that they are expecting many more devotees to converge in the church.

"Marami po, bus by bus sila. Minsan tatlong bus po, minsan apat. Kung saan-saan pong lugar," said Ning Cubos, an usherette.

The Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy

An ordinary jubilee year usually takes place every 25 years. Last year, however, the Pope declared that the period from December 8, 2015 to November 16, 2016 would be an extraordinary jubilee, 16 years after the jubilee declared by Pope John Paul II in 2000.

The current jubilee is also the 27th holy year since the tradition began more than 700 years ago.

With its theme of mercy, the jubilee year is a special holy period in which believers are encouraged to renew their relationship with God and seek forgiveness for their sins.

Someone who walks through a Holy Door may receive a plenary indulgence (a remission of all temporal punishment for one's sins) if he is truly repentant, goes to confession, receives communion, and prays for the intentions of the Pope.

The Manila Cathedral in Makati, the National Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Mandaluyong, the Santuario de Santo Cristo in San Juan, and Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Pasay are among the jubilee churches in Metro Manila.

According to the report, devotees who will visit said churches may obtain a "pilgrim's passport," which lists down a set of activities that Catholics must complete in five jubilee churches in order to receive a certificate.

These include the lighting of candles, praying, entering the porta sancta or holy door, and donating to the church's prison ministry.

Fr. Feliciano Marquez, a priest at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish, explained that the steps lead to a better reflection of the Year of Mercy.

"It's a spiritual journey na gagawin ng isang mananampalataya ng isang Katoliko para maintindihan, maunawaan na ang buhay ay isang paglalakbay patungo sa Diyos," Marquez said.

"Importante na maunawaan natin na ang Diyos ay Diyos ng kabutihan, Diyos ng awa, Diyos na may puso para sa ganun pipilitin nating maging katulad niya. ito ang pinangdidiinan ng Year of Mercy," he added." — Jessica Bartolome/BM, GMA News