MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews / November 20) – The Papal Nuncio to the Philippines,  Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams encouraged Catholics to live their faith as he also prayed “for people’s victory against corruption, violence, and other evils."

Church and local government officials from the province and the city here formally received Arch. Adams, Pope Benedict XVI’s ambassador to the Philippines when he arrived Monday for his three day pastoral visit in the province.

”Never be ashamed of your faith. Guard it. Teach it. Spread the faith, make it known. Live it,” he said during the late Monday afternoon mass at the crowded San Isidro Cathedral.

Adams reflected on St. Paul’s letter to Timothy in his homily and asked the Catholics present to “enter more deeply into your vocation”.

He said no evil can be faced that Christ has never faced and conquered encouraging the faithful to “let others know the joy”. 

The nuncio praised the growth and prayed for inter-religious dialogue in Mindanao.

Adams praised the growth of the diocese as fruit of the seed of faith originally brought here by the Augustinians and the Jesuits.  

Earlier, hundreds greeted the nuncio’s convoy as it passed along Fortich Street in the rainy afternoon. But rain did not stop students and churchgoers from waving flaglets of the Philippines and the Vatican as he arrived at the Cathedral with Bishop Honesto Pacana.

Gov. Jose Ma. R. Zubiri Jr. knelt before  the nuncio to greet him. With him were Vice Gov. Alex Calingasan, Malaybalay City Mayor Florencio Flores Jr. and Vice Mayor Ignacio W. Zubiri. 

The Bukidnon clergy facilitated a welcome program inside the Cathedral where church and government officials introduced the province to the nuncio. 

Fr. Bob Sena, chancellor of the diocese, hailed the nuncio as a “person of high dignity and stature” as he presided over the welcome rites.  “Your pastoral visit makes our anniversary celebration more meaningful,” he said.  Adams assumed the post in 2007.

From Malaybalay City, the nuncio traveled to Maramag town in the south spending short stops in churches along the Sayre Highway to greet and give apostolic blessings to parishioners. 

From the Monastery of Transfiguration, near where he was billeted, the nuncio stopped in Aglayan and Dabongdabong before proceeding to the San Agustin Church in Valencia City. He also made a brief stop at the San Isidro Parish in Musuan before proceeding to the San Andres Church in Maramag, where another mass was held. 

Parishioners from churches in southern Bukidnon gathered in Maramag to greet the nuncio. On his last day, the nuncio traveled to Manolo Fortich for another gathering marked with parish stops along the way. 

The Prelature of Malaybalay was created on April 25, 1969 by Pope Paul VI.  The nuncio’s visit was in time for the 27th anniversary of the elevation of the prelature to a diocese by Pope John Paul II on November 15, 1982.

The diocese is now composed of 45 parishes. The diocese has |about 90 priests and is home to  two Mindanao bishops, Pagadian Bishop Jose Manguiran and Iligan Bishop Elinito  Galido. (Walter I. Balane / MindaNews)

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