Pope Leo XIV has offered prayers and condolences to victims of the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck northern Cebu on Tuesday night, newly installed Cebu Archbishop Alberto Uy said on Thursday.
Uy said he received the message through Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Charles John Brown.
‘The Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Charles John Brown, called me to convey the Holy Father’s heartfelt sympathies for all the survivors of the earthquake, and his prayers for the eternal repose of the victims,’ Uy said.
He added that the pope assured the faithful of his spiritual closeness as communities grieve and begin recovery efforts.
The death toll from the quake has risen to 72, while 294 were injured, according to the report released by authorities as of October 3.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council also reported that a total of 170,959 people have been affected, and 20,000 people remain displaced as of Thursday.
It also said that at least 53 cities and municipalities have been placed under a state of calamity.
Several churches were damaged, prompting the Archdiocese of Cebu to suspend their use until structural assessments are completed.
The Archdiocesan Shrine of Santa Rosa de Lima in Daanbantayan, built in 1886, partially collapsed.
In an advisory, the archdiocese directed parishes in hard-hit areas to refrain from celebrating Mass inside the churches until engineers declare the buildings safe.
It also ordered inspections of all churches and rectories in the archdiocese.
‘Refrain from using your churches until the proper experts have carried out the assessment and declared the structures safe for use,’ it added.
However, despite the strong tremors from the magnitude 5.1 aftershock early in the morning on October 3, a 6 a.m. Mass was held at Kapilya de Sta. Rosa de Lima, said the shrine’s Facebook post.
On October 1, the shrine posted a photo with the caption saying the images of Santa Rosa de Lima and St. Martin de Porres at the ‘safety of the parish convent.’
A separate photo showed the ‘unscathed’ retablo image of Santa Rosa de Lima image wrapped in unused plastic bag for protection from heavy rains and dust.
‘Other than the tabernacle where the Blessed Sacrament is kept, the miraculous retablo image of Santa Rosa de Lima was one of the few images in the shine that wasn’t damaged by the earthquake! The other unscathed images so far is the Virgen del Carmen, and the Immaculate Conception,’ the Facebook post said.
An earlier BusinessMirror report said that in Bantayan portions of the façade of the 1863 Parroquia de San Pedro Apostol also gave way during the tremor.
In his homily for the Feast of the Guardian Angels on October 2, Uy urged the faithful to embody the mission of the angels by helping those in need.
‘In these difficult days.we are invited to show the spirit of the angels by sharing whatever we can-food, clothing, shelter, prayers, and even our time,’ said Uy, who was installed just early in the day on September 30 when the magnitude 6.9 earthquake occurred in the late evening.
‘Every act of generosity becomes a way of guarding, guiding, and comforting others.’ he said.
Uy added that to be an angel for someone is ‘to protect the weak, to accompany the lonely, and to give hope to those who have lost much.’
‘This is the best way to honor our guardian angels: by imitating their mission of love,’ he said.
On Wednesday, the archbishop visited several parishes severely affected by the earthquake and offered prayers at the Daanbantayan District Hospital for the injured.
On October 1, the morning after the powerful earthquake, Uy extended his condolences to families who lost loved ones in the tremor that struck northern Cebu.
‘My condolences to all who lost their loved ones because of the earthquake. May the Lord grant you strength and hope,’ Uy said in a statement.
He called on communities to remain united in prayer and mutual support as they recover from the disaster.
‘In times of hardship, let us all unite in prayer and mutual help,’ he said.
The quake struck at 9:59 p.m. on September 30, with the epicenter about 21 kilometers northeast of Bogo City.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the tremor had a shallow depth of 5 kilometers, making it widely felt across the Visayas, as well as parts of Mindanao and the Bicol region.
The Cebu archdiocese urged the faithful to place their trust in God during this period of uncertainty.
‘We continue to pray to our Loving Father for calmness and strength in the midst of these trials. We entrust ourselves, our families, and our communities into His merciful hands. May the Lord shelter us under His wings, protect us from every harm, and guide us to safety and peace,’ it said.