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Cebu pavilion for int'l catholic congress 50% done, to be completed by September


The pavilion to be used for next January's International Eucharistic Congress in Cebu is now halfway complete, even as Church officials remain hopeful Pope Francis can attend the event.

Construction manager Engineer Adonis Gabutin said they expect to complete the structure in September, GMA Cebu's Gregy Magdadaro reported last Friday.

Once finished, the pavilion along Pope John Paul II Avenue in Cebu City will be the venue of IEC events.

Architect Carlos Pio Zafra said the pavilion will have a simple design and will cost P537 million. A construction firm has shouldered the costs in return for usufructuary rights near the seminary for 25 years.

Organizers of the IEC expect many foreign delegates to arrive for the IEC, which is scheduled for the third week of January 2016.

The Cebu City Sports Center has been identified as the venue for the IEC's opening Mass.

Pope coming for the event?

Cebu Archbishop and former Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines president Jose Palma said he remains hopeful Pope Francis will attend the January 2016 event.

This is even if the Vatican has yet to respond to an invitation to attend the IEC.

Meanwhile, the Cebu Archdiocese continues to work to raise P250 million for the IEC's operating expenses.

IEC 2016 secretary general Dennis Villarojo said they hope to collect P100 million from the registration of some 15,000 participants.

Another initiative, the "Piso para sa Misa ng Mundo," aims to raise another P5 million.

Held every four years, IEC will be held in the Cebu Archdiocese Jan. 24 to 31, 2016. It is expected to draw 15,000 people worldwide, the CBCP said earlier.

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle suggested three key actions to spiritually prepare the faithful for the congress:

- embark on an archdiocesan catechesis
- conduct gatherings for member dioceses
- raise funds to support congress events.

“We hope these actions could also translate the blessings of the recent visit of Pope Francis into a profound Eucharistic spirituality and service of the poor,” Tagle said. — Joel Locsin/LBG, GMA News
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