24,000 young people to meet with Pope at UST; event ‘open to public’

Some 24,000 representatives from the youth sector are expected to meet with Pope Francis when he stops by the University of Santo Tomas during his five-day visit in January, school officials announced Monday.

In a press briefing, UST public affairs director Giovanna Fontanilla said young people from the university as well as from other groups and other parts of the country are expected to fill the UST Grandstand and Open Field for the event on January 18.

'No tickets required'

However, the university is expecting a larger crowd as the event will be open to the public.

According to Fontanilla, "designated places" have been identified to allow the public to enter UST on that day.

"We have allotted approximately 24,000 [places]," she said. "I guess for the public, perhaps the number would be even more. It's not really easy to give you a figure, so it's 24,000 [youth representatives], and more than that from the public."

Fontanilla pointed out that "no tickets" will be distributed by UST for the event, and that the public can "just come to the university."

"There are no tickets being distributed by the University of Santo Tomas to people that will join us when the Holy Father visits. There are a lot of inquiries: 'How do we get tickets? How are they distributed?' I say it again: There are no tickets for the public... It is one rare opportunity for them to see the Holy Father, so we'd like to provide them with that wonderful opportunity of seeing him," she said.

Meeting with the youth

The youth representatives joining the event were selected by the central committee for the papal visit and will come "from all over the Philippines," Fontanilla noted.

"We are receiving young people from all over the country—from different universities, different colleges, different dioceses, so it's proportionate. It's not just UST students. It's a lot more of other students and young people than [those from] UST," she said.

In a statement read by Fontanilla, UST Rector Rev. Fr. Herminio Dagohoy said the youth representatives were chosen from several groups, including:

• the Archdiocesan Commission on the Youth (AYC),
• the Episcopal Commission on the Youth (ECY),
• the Catholic Educational Association (CEAP),
• the Association of Catholic University of the Philippines (ACUP), and
• the youth participants of the 2nd Philippine Conference on New Evangelization.

Fontanilla said the event will begin with a "pre-program" at around 6:30 a.m., where youth representatives will participate in "praying the rosary, practice of songs and cheers for the Holy Father, and sharing of their faith."

The pre-program is "a way of preparing the young people for the encounter with Pope Francis," who is expected to arrive at UST at 10:30 a.m.

The program proper will include the enthronement of the cross, as well as a liturgical service that includes readings from the Bible, a responsorial psalm, and the Gospel.

Among the highlights expected during the event is the sharing of testimonies by three selected representatives: an out-of-school youth, a college student, and a volunteer for relief operations for victims of super typhoon Yolanda.

The testimonies will be followed by a message from Pope Francis, prayer intercessions delivered in seven dialects, and closing prayers.

Fontanilla also noted: "The Holy Father will lead the praying of the Angelus at the UST Grandstand" before he leaves the university between 12 to 12:30 p.m.

After the event at UST, the Pope will be heading to the Quirino Grandstand, where the concluding Mass for his visit will be held.

UST visit 'a special privilege'

In an interview with GMA News Online, Fontanilla said the Pope's visit at UST is in line with its status as the lone pontifical university in Asia.

"The university, as Saint John Paul II mentioned before, has the right to the attention of the Holy Father. As a pontifical university, the statute of the university is approved by Rome, the appointment of our rector is approved by Rome, so there really is a close connection between the Vatican and the University of Santo Tomas, between the Pope and UST," she said.

She added that while the Pope is "not required" to visit the university, it is a "special privilege" extended to the institution.

According to UST, it was bestowed the title "pontifical" (of or related to the Pontiff) by Pope Leo XIII in September 1902, only the second university in the world granted the designation. Forty-five years later, Pope Pius XII called it "the Catholic University of the Philippines."

Pope Francis will be the third pontiff to set foot in the university, following the visits of Blessed Paul VI in 1970, and Saint John Paul II, who went there twice, in 1981 and 1995.

John Paul II's second visit came in line with the celebration of the 1995 World Youth Day, which will be marking its 20th anniversary during Pope Francis' visit. — BM, GMA News