The World Youth Day (WYD) in Spain has become a venue for Filipinos living abroad to meet their "kababayan," the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said.
In a news release on Thursday, the CBCP said many Filipinos based abroad "usually cheer up" at the sight of fellow Filipinos carrying the Philippine flag.
The CBCP cited Father Ding Camus from the Sacred Heart Church in Bahrain, who is leading a delegation of 42 Bahraini and Filipino lay people at the WYD.
“Masaya ako makakita ng kapwa Pinoy. Siempre excited ako makibalita sa kanila," said Camus.
Meanwhile, Rosalyn Villanueva is one of the 90 WYD delegates from the Filipino community in Milan, Italy. Her group carries a Philippine Flag and an Italian Flag under it.
The CBCP said Villanueva’s group positioned themselves near the official delegation of the Philippines (ECY-Philippines) during the opening Mass at Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid, Spain on Tuesday.
“Masaya at nakakatuwang makakita ng Pilipino dito sa WYD," she said.
Another Filipino, Barry Antonio from the Diocese of Malolos, had the chance to meet the classmate of his Canada-based cousin, the CBCP said.
“Habang hinihintay namin ang lunch naming sa isang restaurant, May bumati sa amin na grupo from Canada. Nung sinabi nila na galing sila sa Toronto, tinanong ko if they know my cousin. Luckily, one of the delegates from their group knows my cousin too well because they’ve been classmates," he said.
The Philippine Embassy in Spain noted the huge number of Filipinos coming from different parts of the world.
Welfare officer Ed Bellido said the embassy is happy to see many Filipinos attending the WYD, not only from the Philippines but also from other countries.
“This shows how the Filipino Catholic faithful is growing to be a population of evangelists. Our role to evangelize the world is very present as we see Filipinos enlivening the parishes of foreign countries," Bellido said in the CBCP report.
source: gmanews.tv
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