Cardinal Jose Advincula of Manila met with Pope Francis for the first time since the prelate was appointed to the College of Cardinals in November 2020.
Father Gregory Ramon Gaston, rector of the Pontificio Collegio Filipino in Rome, said Cardinal Advincula also met with Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, last week.
Cardinal Advincula was supposed to meet with Pope Francis in November 2020 for his consistory in Rome, but that did not push through due to COVID-19 travel restrictions both in the Philippines and Rome.
He was designated as the 33rd archbishop of Manila on June 24 that year.
The Manila prelate also had a meeting with Philippine Ambassador to the Holy See Myla Grace Macahilig and with Most Rev. Lazarus You Heung-sik, Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy.
“We are honored to host our distinguished alumnus, Cardinal Advincula, during these days of his meetings and pilgrimage,” said Father Gaston.
“As archbishop of Capiz and now of Manila, Cardinal [Advincula] has been continuously sending priests to the Collegio for further studies and to strengthen the seminaries and other diocesan ministries back home,” said the priest.
Father Gaston said Cardinal Advincula also met with Archbishop of Reims Réélu Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of France.
