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Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher,Vatican Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, is in the Philippines this week to attend the celebration of “Pope’s Day,” which marks the June 29 Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul.
His visit to the Southeastern Asian island nation includes meetings with Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Secretary for Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo.
Vatican News reports that Archbishop Gallagher arrived in the Philippines on July 1, and met with the president on the following day. He first met with Secretary Manalo, who spoke with the archbishop about common issues that concern both the Philippines and the Holy See.
Manalo expressed his country’s commitment to upholding “a rules-based international order” and recognized the good work performed by the Vatican:
“We recognize the contribution of the Holy See in promoting peace, human rights, and development cooperation worldwide,” Secretary Manalo told Archbishop Gallagher.
The archbishop reciprocated these views and explained how highly the Vatican values its relationship with the Philippines. He noted the “significant contributions” that the Filipino faithful bring to the Catholic Church, and highlighted in particular that Filipino Catholics “are excellent agents for evangelization and for sharing the Good News of the Gospel.”
“We believe that in many of these aspects, the Holy See and the Republic of the Philippines share the same values, the same vision of things, and therefore we will likely be able to work together also in the future,” he said.
On July 3, Archbishop Gallagher visited Malaybalay, in the Northern Mindanao region, where he participated in the plenary session of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). On July 4, he and the members of the CBCP headed to the Abbey of the Transfiguration, also in Malaybalay.
His final day, July 5, will be spent at the conference at the Foreign Service Institute, affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Manila. From there, with his visit having ended, Archbishop Gallagher will return to Rome.
