POPE LEO XIV VISITED PH TWICE

Pope Leo XIV visited the Philippines twice before he became the head of the Catholic Church on Thursday, May 8.

- By TRISTAN LOZANO, MERLIN-DA HERNANDO-MALIPOT

The Pontiff then Father Robert Prevost visited Cebu and Manila in 2004 and 2010, respectively.

He was in Talisay City, Cebu to bless a friary of the Order of Saint Augustine of the Santo Niño de Cebu Parish on Jan. 31, 2004.

Pope Leo XIV was then the prior general or head of the Order of Saint Augustine at the time.

"With great joy, the Augustinian Province of Santo Niño de Cebu-Philippines joins the Catholic Church in praying for Robert Cardinal Prevost, OSA—now Pope Leo XIV—as he begins his ministry as the 267th Supreme Pontiff," the Augustinian Province of Santo Niño de Cebu-Philippines said on a Facebook post.

It shared photos of the Pontiff during his visit on its Facebook page.

Six years later, in September 2010, Pope Leo XIV returned to Manila for the congregation's Intermediate General Chapter.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) shared photos of the Pope presiding over a Mass at the San Agustin Church in Intramuros, Manila.

As part of the event, the Pope also visited Colegio San Agustin in Binan City, Laguna and the University of Regina Carmeli in Malolos City, Bulacan as part of the event.