THE canonization of the Bisayan Blessed Pedro Calungsod this afternoon at the 10 a.m. Mass in St. Peter’s Square in Rome has caused an eruption of national rejoicing since Pope Benedict XVI announced it on February 18.

The most euphoric were at first the Cebuano-speaking Bisayans, for even if it is not known for certain where the Blessed was born in the Visayas, it has been generally believed that he comes from Cebu (also the Boholanos also have a claim on him.)

Malacañang yesterday said today would be “a day of great spiritual joy and national pride” to Filipinos.

Although it was only President Aquino’s deputy spokesperson who said those words it still added to the mood of celebration.

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said Calungsod’s canonization not only Filipino Catholics takes pride in this event but also “all those who call the Philippines their home, especially our countrymen in the Visayas and Mindanao.”

Vice President Jejomar Binay, who is in Rome leading the official Philippine delegation to the canonization rites, had earlier said Saint Pedro Calungsod will be the “patron saint of OFWs.” Energy Secretary Rene Almendras is also in Rome.

Senator Jinggoy Estrada is also in Rome, among other political figures.

Some 30 Filipino cardinals and bishops are of course attending the canonization of Blessed Pedro Calungsod.

They are led by Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, and Archbishop Jose Palma, CBCP president.

CBCP News quoted former Philippine Ambassador to the Vatican Henrietta de Villa, who is part of a national commission that organized the preparations for Calungsod’s canonization, said three statues of Calungsod that were brought to Rome.

Aside from the official pilgrim image from Cebu, one statue will be given to Pope Benedict XVI while another one will be placed at the Pontificio Collegio Filipino, the “home” of Filipino diocesan priests studying at pontifical universities in Rome.

“The other one will be blessed by the Holy Father and will be brought back again to the Philippines because that is the pilgrim image,” De Villa said.

She said the image will be flown back to Manila on October 25 for the “Duaw Nasud” (“Visit to the Nation”) to major cities in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao until November 27.

The image is expected to be in Cebu City again before the Nov. 30 thanksgiving Mass for Pedro Calungsod’s sainthood.

 About 5,000 thousands Filipino pilgrims from the Philippines, apart from the estimated 300,000 or so Filipinos residing in Rome, are in Rome to attend the canonization whose crowd is expected spill out of St. Peter’s Square into the streets of Rome.

Thousands more Filipino pilgrims who live in the United States and other European countries have also flocked to Rome.

Fr. Marvin Mejia, assistant secretary general of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, said the Filipino attendance figures could grow if the number of Filipinos residing in Italy will be included.

There are about 100,000 documented Filipinos living in Italy, making them among the largest foreign population groups there.

“This is really going to be a moment of great pride for us Filipinos,” Mejia said.

Since Thursday, Filipinos living in Rome have trooped to the Basilica di Sant’Agostino for the first of three masses to celebrate Blessed. Pedro Calungsod’s canonization.

Close to a thousand pilgrims, mostly OFWs in Rome gathered for the first Triduum mass on August 18 at the Basilica ‘Sant Agostino.

According to Fr. Jan Limchua, a member of the Rome Commission for the canonization, most of the Filipinos who participated heard Mass yesterday were OFWs living in Rome who usually have their day-offs on Thursdays.

A notably large delegation from the Middle East countries like Qatar and Saudi Arabia, however, was also present at the Mass.

As he had said he expected, the number of pilgrims flying in all over the world for the canonization has grown to steadily until Saturday, when the last of the Triduum Masses was celebrated in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.

Among the members of the congregation were Mo. Teodora Juan MCST, Superior General of the Missionary Catechists of St. Therese; and Ambassador Mercedes A. Tuason, Philippine envoy to the Holy See.

Around 38 Filipino, Guamanian and Spanish priests concelebrated the mass with Archbishop John Du, along with the hundreds of Filipinos who attended the Mass.

Fr. Rommel Par, OSA, Assistant of the Augustinian Prior General for Asia, delivered an address on behalf of the Prior General Fr. Robert Prevost OSA, who was not able to attend the Mass because of his participation in the Synod on New Evangelization.

With a report by Aaron James R. Veloso