Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, will celebrate his 63rd birthday on June 21 with a Mass at the Pontificio Collegio Filippino in Rome.
Father Gregory Gaston, rector of the Pontificio Collegio Filippino, said the Mass will be at 8 a.m. followed by a simple dinner.
Father Gaston said the celebration is not open to the public due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“But of course, Cardinal Tagle may invite personal guests if he wishes,” said the priest.
Bishop Ruperto Santos of Balanga called on the faithful to gift the cardinal with prayers.
“Our best gift is to be united in prayers. Let us pray for our Cardinal Tagle, and to pray with him, for the healing of the world,” he said.
“With this pandemic, what we have to do is to pray constantly and consistently. We have to turn to God, trust Him fervently. God is our solution, He is our salvation,” added Bishop Santos.
Cardinal Tagle left the Philippines in February to assume his post as prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
Pope Francis appointed the former Manila archbishop to the post in December 2019.
On May 1, the pontiff elevated Tagle as cardinal bishop, the highest rank within the College of Cardinals.
