Tripoli PE Joins Filipino Catholic Community in Libya in Launch of Year-long Quincentennial Celebrations

Tripoli, 16 April 2021 -The Philippine Embassy in Tripoli co-launched the Ouincentennial Commemorations or 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines at the St. Francis Catholic Church in Tripoli, Libya.

The event was spearheaded by the Filipino Parish Pastoral Council (FPPC) led by its President, Ricardo Gobres, with the blessings of His Excellency Rev. Bishop George Bugeja and Parish Priest Rev. Father Magdy Mansour and in cooperation with the Embassy.

Fr. Mansour celebrated the morning mass with around 50 churchgoers. Later, FPPC presented the theme song, along with its interpretative hand gestures, of the Ouincentennial Commemorations.

After the mass, Charge d'Affaires en pied Juan E. Dayang, Jr. gave a talk on the significance of the Ouincentennial Commemorations for Filipinos at the St. Francis Catholic Church Hall. He said that the commemoration marks the "victory of humanity when Ferdinand Magellan's ship completed the first-ever circumnavigation of the globe" and the "triumph of our ancestors against foreign invaders in Mactan."

CDA Dayang shared excerpts from the homily of Papal Nunicio to the Philippines, Rev. Archbishop Charles Brown during the holy mass he celebrated in Cebu City on 14 April 2021.

He said that "Catholic faith has penetrated deeply into the Filipino culture. It brought forth a uniquely Filipino face of the 'unchanging and universal truth of the Catholic faith .'"

"Filipinos are recognized to be carriers and torchbearers of the Catholic faith. The Overseas Filipino Workers carry their Catholic faith and their devotion to the Santo Nino to every corner of the world," he added .

FPPC hosted a Filipino lunch for the participants after the launch.

The Embassy will announce activities on the year-long observance of the commemorations in the coming days.