Tagle to lead tribute for 2 popes on April 27

Archbishop of Manila Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle will lead the tribute for Popes John XXIII and John Paul II at Smart Araneta Coliseum on April 27 while they are being canonized in Vatican City. Admission is free. A live feed of the canonization will be also be broadcast.

Tagle will celebrate Mass, and the tribute will be held from 1:30 to 5 p.m.

In a statement, the Araneta Center said Jesuit Communications and the Archdiocese of Manila had organized the tribute “Shepherds, Servants and Saints: Celebrating the Canonization of John XXII and John Paul II, Great Popes and Saints.”

Beginning Holy Saturday, tickets will be made available at the Ticketnet office at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

More tickets will be distributed on April 23 onwards at the Jesuit Communications’ Tanging Yaman stores (Sonolux Building, Ateneo de Manila University, SM Megamall) and St. Paul’s stores (Gateway Mall and SM North EDSA and Mall of Asia).

The event is a sequel to the highly successful “Blessed” liturgical concert in October 2011 to celebrate John Paul II’s beatification.

John Paul II, well loved by Filipi- nos, visited Manila on two occasions, the first in 1981 when he beatified several martyrs, including St. Lorenzo Ruiz, the Philippines’ first saint.

The second time was in 1995 during World Youth Day.

In 1981, John Paul II paid a pastoral visit at the Araneta Coliseum and addressed businessmen and catechists, declaring the venue as the “colosseo of papal audiences.”

On October 2011, Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioco installed a marker at the coliseum formalizing the title attributed to the coliseum by John Paul II.

The Araneta event is considered doubly meaningful as Filipino Catholics are celebrating the Year of the Laity.

The Year of the Laity echoes John Paul II’s exhortation for everyone to be shepherds, servants and saints.