Filipino archbishop receives pallium from Pope Francis

Archbishop Rex Andrew Alarcon of the Archdiocese of Caceres in Naga City, Camarines Sur, was among 42 archbishops appointed in the past year to receive the pallium from Pope Francis on June 29.
According to a statement by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Sunday, June 30, Pope Francis personally handed Alarcon the newly blessed pallium, enclosed in a small wooden box tied with a brown ribbon.
The ceremony was held during a Mass, coinciding with the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
The pallium, a woven band of lambswool, symbolizes the archbishop’s unity with the Pope and his role as a shepherd of the Church.
During his homily, Pope Francis urged the archbishops to be “zealous shepherds who open the doors of the Gospel, and through their ministry, help to build a Church and a society of open doors.”
Traditionally, new bishops received the pallium during the June 29 Mass in Rome.
However, in a move towards decentralization, Pope Francis initiated a change in 2015 where the pallium is now bestowed upon bishops in their respective archdioceses by the local apostolic nuncio.
“The investiture of the pallium will take place here in Caceres at a later date,” the archdiocese posted on social media.
Alarcon, 53, was appointed Archbishop of Caceres by Pope Francis on Feb. 22 and formally installed on May 2.