New Palo Archbishop John F. Du will receive his Papal Pallium from Pope Benedict XVI on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul at the Vatican on June 29.Archbishop Du said he will not be at the fiesta masses of Ormoc City on June 29 and Tacloban City on June 30 as he will be personally receiving the Papal Pallium as a symbol of his authority as archbishop of Palo from Pope Benedict.
Du will said he will be joined by his close relatives during his trip to the Vatican City for his meeting with the Holy Father.
Du was installed as new Palo archbishop last May 9, 2012 in rites at the Palo Metropolitan Cathedral.
He was formerly bishop of Dumaguete City before his assignment as new Palo archbishop.
A native of Bantayan, ebu, Du is the treasurer of the influential Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
As new Palo archbishop, he also supervises the suffragan dioceses of Naval in Biliran, Borongan in Eastern Samar, Calbayog in Samar and Catarman in Northern Samar.
The Papal Pallium is a liturgical insignia of the Archbishop made of white wool which serves as the symbol of the bishop as the good shepherd; the wool is meant to represent the lost, sick or weak sheep which the shepherd places on his shoulders and carries to the healing waters of life.