Manila, Mass for victims of disasters in China and Myanmar
Manila (AsiaNews) - Chinese and Burmese priests, Filipino religious and laypeople gathered yesterday in the cathedral of the capital of the Philippines to pray, during the celebration of Corpus Domini, for the victims of the natural disasters that have struck China and Myanmar. The solemn Mass was celebrated by the archbishop of Manila, Cardinal Rosales, who emphasised "the importance of solidarity in these difficult situations".
One of the sisters present, Mother Zhu Fangmei, is from the province of Sichuan that was devastated by the earthquake, and said after the Mass: "I am happy to see so many Filipinos beside the people of China and of Burma, praying for the victims and survivors of this disaster". The support and prayers asked for by Cardinal Rosales, she continued, "are a great inspiration: we must continue to pray for those who suffer".
During the ceremony, the cardinal also recalled the World Day of Prayer for the Church in China, established by Benedict XVI in his letter to the Chinese, and asked the faithful gathered to recite the special prayer to the Virgin of Sheshan written by the pope for the occasion. After the celebration, the assembly joined the procession for Corpus Domini through the streets of Manila.
To address the emergency, Cardinal Rosales has written to all the parishes of the archdiocese, launching a fundraising drive on behalf of China, to be held on June 1. Funds were also collected yesterday for victims and survivors of cyclone Nargis.
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