Pope Leo XIV to meet with 100 Filipino priests in Rome

FILE: Pope Leo XIV Inauguration Mass In St. Peter’s Square. (Photo: Catholic Church England and Wales/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

By Ferdinand Patinio, Philippine News Agency

MANILA – Pope Leo XIV is set to meet all priests, including some 100 Filipino clergy, assigned in Rome next week, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) News reported on Sunday.

Citing the Diocese of Rome, the CBCP News report said the meeting will take place at 10 a.m. on June 12, 2025 at the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall, which has a capacity of up to 6,300 people.

The meeting will be Pope Leo XIV’s first official encounter with the priests of his diocese since his election to the papacy in May, it added.

On the other hand, Rev. Gregory Ramon Gaston, rector of the Pontificio Collegio Filippino (PCF), said Filipino priests who are pursuing studies in Rome are among the expected audience.

“This is not exclusive for the priests of PCF, but for all priests serving in Rome,” he said in an interview over Church-run Radio Veritas.

An estimated 100 Filipino priests are based in Rome, roughly half of them staying at the PCF where they undergo formation, including advanced studies in theology, philosophy, canon law, and other ecclesiastical fields.