The Diocese of Macau celebrated in advance the birthday of His Holiness, Pope Francis in a Mass at the Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady in Macau, presided by Bishop Stephen Lee Bun-sang at 3:30 PM on December 7, Saturday. Clergy, members of the different religious congregations and lay people gathered together to pray for the intentions of the Holy Father.
The Holy See Study Mission in Hong Kong headed by Monsignor Javier Heerera Corona, is also organizing a musical concert at the same venue today at 8:00 PM to celebrate the occasion. Tickets to the concerts are available on request at any parish office in Macau, at the Diocesan commission of Social Communications and at St Paul’s Bookstore.
In an interview with Father Jijo Kandamkulathil, Monsignor Herrera said that we celebrate the Pontiff’s birthday “for what he represents, the vicar of Christ, the successor of the apostles, and we Catholics enjoy having the Pope, whom God wanted to grant to his Church.”
To “celebrate the Holy Father is to celebrate exactly the core of our Catholic Church. Our Catholic Church is not an association of individuals who are free to think whatever, to think or to believe whatever they think. Jesus wanted to establish a Church where there is one head and this head is leading the flock. And that is what we Catholics are. We celebrate the Holy Father as the visible head of the church so that is for us. To celebrate the Holy Father is an opportunity to remember that we are an institution wanted by God, a spiritual institution,” stressed the Holy See representative. “But as well, we are human beings and we enjoy to be together, to celebrate together and to see our leader, who is also like us, celebrate birthdays.”
The Mass and concert, where international artists have performed, have been organized since 2014, remarked the Holy See representative. He added that since Pope Francis insistently asks everyone to pray for him, Msgr Herrera explained that the “Eucharist celebration is the greatest moment of prayer that we can have.”
In Hong Kong, the concert will be held on December 15, Sunday, at 8 PM in the Immaculate Conception Cathedral. “Then the following Saturday, December 21, at Christ the King Chapel, we are going to host the solemn celebration to pray for the Holy Father at 5:00 PM,” the monsignor added.
In order to emphasize the catholicity of the Church, Msgr Herrera revealed that “this year, we have invited a number of artists. Exactly, there will be 17 artists. They are coming from Europe, Asia and South America as well.”
The Holy See representative also said that on a personal level, aside from the Holy Mass, the Holy Father loves to celebrate his birthday with people in need such as the homeless, sick children and the bedridden.
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