Cardinal Rosales in Rome
To take ‘possession’ of titular church;
attend Vatican meeting

Manila Archbishop Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales is in Rome to take “canonical possession” of his titular church and to attend a Vatican meeting.

Cardinal Rosales will take “canonical possession” of the Santissimo Nome de Maria church in Via Latina, Rome, which is the church assigned to him in Rome. All cardinals are given a titular church upon their elevation to the College of Cardinals. It symbolizes their distinctive role as the closest collaborators of the Pope and establishes the seat of their authority in the Church of Rome. This will take place at a noon high mass on March 4. The archbishop of Manila was named Cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in April last year.

The Cardinal will also attend the meeting of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications on March 5-9 at the Vatican. He is a member of the council.

On March 8, Cardinal Rosales will celebrate a Mass with the Filipinos in Rome at the Collegio Filippino, the residence of Filipino priests studying in Rome. The project Pondo ng Pinoy sa Italya will be launched during the Mass. He will also visit several Filipino religious communities in Rome.

The canonical possession rites are solemn and simple. The Cardinal in full regalia is first welcomed by the parish priest or rector of his titular church, in this case the parish priest is Fr. Loris Floriani. The Cardinal will kiss the cross which the priest presents to him, then the Cardinal blesses the congregation with holy water as the choir sings the hymn, “You Are a Priest Forever.” After spending a few moments in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the Cardinal puts on the vestments for Mass and joins the procession to the altar. After the Mass, the Cardinal proceeds to the church’s sacristy to sign the documents of “possession.”

A marker is placed at the door of the church which declares its titular possession by Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales, Archbishop of Manila.

The Cardinal is accompanied on his trip by his secretary, Fr. Reginald Malicdem and Fr. Genaro Diwa, director of the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission. He departs Rome for Manila on March 11.