Pope Francis to lead Aguinaldo mass for Pinoys in Rome Dec. 15

Pope Francis will preside over the 4:30 p.m. (10:30 p.m., Manila time) Mass at the Basilica which is expected to be attended by Rome and Philippine officials. (Malacañang Photo Bureau)

MANILA — For the first time, a Pope will celebrate the traditional Aguinaldo Mass for Filipinos in Rome at the St. Peter’s Basilica on December 15.

Pope Francis will preside over the 4:30 p.m. (10:30 p.m., Manila time) Mass at the Basilica which is expected to be attended by Rome and Philippine officials.

Though such Mass for Filipinos has been held there several times in the past, the Dec. 15 celebration will be the first-ever to be presided over by a pontiff.

“This is the fourth year that we celebrate it in the basilica but the first time that the Pope will be the one to preside,” said Scalabrinian Fr. Ricky Gente of the Filipino Chaplaincy in Rome in an article posted on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) news website.

He, however, added that they can only accommodate 7,500 churchgoers.

“We have thousands of Filipinos who requested entry but we are not allowed to go beyond that sitting capacity of the basilica,” Gente said.

Some 150 priests including Cardinal Vicar Angelo de Donatis, the Vicar of Rome, and Fr. Leonir Chiarello, head of the Scalabrinians worldwide are also concelebrating the Eucharistic Celebration.

Philippine Ambassador to the Holy See Grace Relucio-Princesa and the country’s envoy to Italy Domingo Nolasco are expected to attend the celebration.

After the December 15 Mass, the other Aguinaldo Masses which are held for nine consecutive days leading up to Christmas, will be held at the Santa Pudenziana Basilica, which was designated as the official church of the Filipinos by pope-turned-saint John Paul II.

The holding of Aguinaldo Masses or Misa de Gallo (dawn Mass) is one of Filipino traditions as part of Christmas celebration.

Meanwhile, the Vatican unveiled the Nativity scene and lit the 85-foot tall Christmas tree in St. Peter’s Square on Thursday.

The Holy Father expressed hope that the nativity scene will serve as a reminder of the true essence and real meaning of Christmas.