MANILA, Philippines—Filipino Catholics who want to go on a spiritual journey need not fly thousands of kilometers to visit the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome and other centers of the Christian faith.

They don’t even have to leave the metropolis.

Nestled in a quiet street corner in the outskirts of the Makati financial district is the Sanctuary of St. Paul the Apostle, now officially a “pilgrim site” as declared by the Vatican.

“The Sanctuary of St. Paul is now open to receive pilgrims,” said Fr. Gil Alinsangan, rector of St. Paul Seminary in Silang, Cavite province, and a regular at the sanctuary inside the Society of St. Paul compound  on 7708 St. Paul Road in San Antonio Village.

The relatively “young” sanctuary (less than 13 years old) was decreed recently as one of two pilgrim sites in Metro Manila, the other being the Parish of Sts. Peter and Paul, also in Makati City.

“The Vatican said a special indulgence is available to Catholics who visit two pilgrimage sites in the Archdiocese of Manila this year to mark the Year of Saint Paul,” according to the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) newsletter.

From June 28 this year until June 29, 2009, the “Pauline year,” Catholics can receive a plenary indulgence by making a pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of St. Paul the Apostle and the Parish of Sts. Peter and Paul in Barangay Poblacion.

An indulgence is a “remission of the temporal punishment due for sins committed,” according to the CBCP.

“Filipinos don’t have to go to the Basilica of St. Paul in Rome to go on a pilgrimage now,” Alinsangan said. “They can make their pilgrimage right here,” he said.

The Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls is considered one of the four great ancient churches of Rome, which include St. Peter’s Basilica.

The designation of the Sanctuary of St. Paul as a pilgrim site was announced in a decree made public during a Mass at the Manila Cathedral in June through a ceremony that officially opened the country’s celebration of the Pauline year, the CBCP said.

The decree was signed by Francis Cardinal Stafford, head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican court dealing with indulgences and matters of conscience, the CBCP said.

Now that the sanctuary is a pilgrim site, Alinsangan said he expects more visitors at the church, which can hold about 500 people at any given time.

“Even now, the sanctuary is already attracting more people than usual. We expect more and more people to come here when they learn about the pilgrim site declaration,” he said in an interview.

The church itself will begin to disseminate the declaration of the sanctuary as a pilgrim site to the public.

“We’ll put up tarpaulin posters here and there. Hopefully, more people will know about the church through word of mouth. Everyone is welcome here,” Alinsangan said.

At a Mass recently, Father Mario Sobrejuanite, the sanctuary chaplain, announced to the congregation the designation of the sanctuary as a pilgrim site.

In a lecture after the Mass, he said that this being the Year of St. Paul, it would be best for all Catholics to embrace his life and teachings.

At the outset, St. Paul introduced himself as a “servant of Jesus Christ” by using the term “doulos” to describe his relationship of total belonging to the Lord, Sobrejuanite said.

“He was anything but a gifted speaker,” the priest said of St. Paul. But the saint’s lack of rhetorical skills only emphasized his dedication and devotion toward spreading God’s teachings.

Now that the Sanctuary of St. Paul is a pilgrim site, Sobrejuanite encouraged the congregation to come visit whenever they can.

“If you can go to Rome, then go. But for the rest of us, making a pilgrimage right here is good enough,” he said.

Originally published at www.inquirer.net   by DJ Yap