Vatican declared Antipolo Cathedral as Philippines' 1st int'l shrine —bishop

The National Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in Antipolo City has been declared by the Vatican as the first international shrine in the Philippines, according to a post on the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) website.

Bishop Francisco de Leon made the announcement at the Mass celebrating the 39th anniversary of the establishment of the Diocese of Antipolo.

“We received a letter from Rome saying that on June 18, our national shrine will be recognized as an international shrine,” De Leon said.

However, De Leon said that the diocese has yet to receive a copy of the official declaration.

With this development, the Antipolo Cathedral will be the third international shrine in Asia.

The other two are the St. Thomas Church Malayattoor in India, and the Haemi Martyrdom Holy Ground and Seoul Pilgrimage Routes in South Korea.

The cathedral would also be the first Marian international shrine in Asia and the sixth in the world, according to the CBCP.

The Catholic Church has three kinds of shrines: diocesan shrines, approved by the local bishop; national shrines recognized by the bishops’ conference; and international shrines endorsed by the Vatican.

According to Catholic News Agency, international shrines include historic locations such as Jerusalem and Rome, sites of approved Marian apparitions, such as Lourdes and Fatima, and places associated with saints, such as Assisi and Lisieux. —LBG, GMA News