MANILA, Philippines - Seventy-six year old Norma Reyes could not hold back her tears when Pope Benedict XVI announced yesterday the name of Pedro Calungsod as one of seven new saints.
“I am proud to be a Filipino because we have a new saint,” Reyes said. She was among the thousands of Catholics who trooped to The Arena in San Juan City yesterday to watch the live telecast of Calungsod’s canonization.
Among the personalities who attended yesterday’s gathering in San Juan were former Manila mayor Lito Atienza, former ambassador to the Vatican Henrietta de Villa, and presidential sister Viel Aquino-Dee.
Youth delegates from the Sanctuario de Sto. Cristo Parish in San Juan also cheered when Pope Benedict XVI called Calungsod’s name, waving their Philippine flaglets and a mini-flag bearing the face of the new saint.
Souvenirs like t-shirts printed with Calungsod’s face and mini statues were sold in front of The Arena.
The Pope presided over the canonization of Calungsod and six others at the Vatican yesterday afternoon.
Calungsod is the second Filipino saint after Saint Lorenzo Ruiz.
President Aquino declared yesterday as the “National Day of Celebration” to honor Calungsod.
“The President has signed Proclamation 481 declaring Sunday, 21 October 2012, as a National Day of Celebration on the occasion of the canonization of Blessed Pedro Calungsod,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said.
Malacañang said Oct. 21 is a “day of great spiritual joy and national pride” for all Filipinos, as it joined over the weekend the whole Catholic faith in celebrating the proclamation of the young Visayan missionary as the second Filipino saint.
“We join the Catholic world on this day of solemn commemoration and celebration,” Valte said.
Aside from San Juan, masses were also held in Tondo, Makati, Novaliches, and Cebu hours before Calungsod’s canonization.
“Pedro Calungsod is not just the country’s hero of faith but of the whole world,” Cortez said.
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. yesterday led lawmakers in hailing the canonization of Calungsod.
Belmonte said the new saint made Filipinos proud and would inspire them to do more good.
“I’m very proud to be a Filipino,” Belmonte said. “It (canonization) is a testimony to our capacity for faith, character, loyalty and sense of self-sacrifice for a righteous cause.”
Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara said St. Pedro Calungsod serves as a good role model for the youth because of his self-sacrifice and his devotion to his faith.
“Our churches and seminaries are full, evident of a deep and practicing faith that is young, dynamic and so much alive in collective prayers and hopes. I pray for more Filipino saints and blessed,” Ang Kasangga party-list Rep. Teodorico Haresco said.
Zambales Rep. Milagros Magsaysay said Filipinos “should all be proud of him, that someone who was selfless and had other people’s interest at heart could one day be a saint, he is a very good example for all of us.”
Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone said the canonization of Calungsod should serve as “a guiding light to us public servants as we carry out our tasks in serving our people.”
“His canonization is a message of hope and selflessness,” he added.
Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said the canonization not only honored Filipinos, but also strengthened their faith as well. He said overseas Filipino workers would also be reminded of their faith while abroad.
“The canonization confirms that the Roman Catholic Church is truly a universal church. A big part of the Vatican II is the transformation of being Europe-centered to universal. This the reason why that the Church has started to recognize the evangelical works of non-Europeans. A great honor for us Filipinos,” Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo said.
Born in the Visayas in 1654, Calungsod was a Filipino Catholic martyr. He was doing missionary work in Guam in 1672 when he was killed, together with Blessed Diego San Luis Vitores, at the age of 17.
Church leaders said it would probably take several years before the country will have another saint.
Basilan Bishop Martin Jumoad said retired Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Vidal started working on the beatification of Calungsod in the 1980s.
“After 30 years of laborious follow up, we now have Saint Pedro Calungsod,” Jumoad said.
Malolos Bishop Jose Oliveros said there are other Filipinos whose names have been forwarded to the Vatican Congregation on the Cause of Saints.
Oliveros cited the case of Missionary Catechists of St. Therese of the Child Jesus founder and former Lucena Bishop Alfredo Obviar, who was declared Servant of God in 2001.
– Delon Porcalla, Paolo Romero
