24 November 2014 – Philippine Ambassador to France Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro called on His Eminence Cardinal André Vingt-Trois, Archbishop of Paris, at the official residence of the Archbishop of Paris on November 21.

During their meeting, the Ambassador discussed the upcoming visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines in January 2015 as well as the visit of President Benigno S. Aquino III to Paris in September 2014, during which the President met the Filipino community at the Chapel of Saint Bernadette in Auteuil.

The Ambassador mentioned that the President was very happy to see that the spiritual needs of the Filipino community in Paris were being met and that they had a church where they could hear Mass in Filipino.

The Ambassador mentioned the possibility of having the Archbishop of Manila, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, visit Paris and to say Mass in Filipino at the Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral. This would be an incredible experience for the thousands of Filipino Catholics in France.

Cardinal Vingt-Trois welcomed this idea and said that he would write to Cardinal Tagle to invite him to swing by Paris before or after their preparatory meetings in April or May 2015 for the 2015 Synod of Bishops in Rome.

Cardinal Vingt-Trois also expressed his delight with the Filipinos and the Philippines, which is home to a number of French religious orders, such as the Assumption Sisters. END