Excess papal visit collection to be turned over to pope

MANILA, Philippines - Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas yesterday said the excess money collected for the papal visit would be turned over to Pope Francis to help finance his various charitable projects.

He said the move was a decision of the bishops and not an order from the pope.

But Villegas could not yet give a definite figure of their total collection and the amount spent for the five-day visit of Pope Francis from Jan. 15 to 19.

“We are still paying our bills,” he said during a press conference at end of the CBCP’s 100th plenary assembly.

He added that the rented LED screens and sound system which were set up at the different venues for the papal activities ate up much of their budget.

In Rizal Park alone, about 16 LED screens were installed and several others were set up at the Manila Cathedral, Mall of Asia Arena and in Tacloban where Pope Francis held a mass.