The Philippines may get a visit from Pope Francis (Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio) in 2016 if a request by the Vatican is any indication, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said. CBCP president and Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma said he received a request from the Vatican to move the 2016 International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) slated in Cebu City to an earlier date: January 25 to 31, instead of May 23 to 29. “Two weeks ago, we received a letter from (Archbishop Piero Marini, president of the Pontifical Committee on the International Eucharistic Congress) asking us if we could move the event to the second preferred date because the pope has another schedule in May,” Palma said in an article on the CBCP website on Wednesday. “We told them that January is fine because our suggestion was to make the pope’s visit to the Philippines a priority,” he added. The Philippines had already started preparations for hosting the event, which is expected to draw thousands of laity and Church leaders from around the world. Held every four years, the 51st International Eucharistic Congress 2016 will reflect on the theme “Christ in You: Our Hope of Glory.” Meanwhile, Palma called on the Filipino faithful to continue praying Pope Francis will indeed make a papal visit to the Philippines. “We know that the pope continues to inspire us and his visit will have an enormous impact on our faith and our Christian life,” he said. Pope Francis’ first international visit Meanwhile, Read More …