Pope Francis presided the start of Filipino Simbang Gabi 2019 for the first time in history at Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City on Sunday, December 15.
“Continue to be smugglers of faith,” the Pope told Filipinos in impromptu remarks at the end of the Simbang Gabi.
The Pope refers to how Filipino Catholics continue or “smuggle” their faith even if they are in the Middle East or Muslim countries.
The Simbang Gabi at Saint Peter’s Basilica started at 4:30 pm on Sunday in Rome, which is 11:30 pm in Manila. Catholics believe Saint Peter’s Basilica is where Saint Peter was buried. Saint Peter was considered as the first pope in catholicism.
Saint Peter’s Basilica held Filipino Simbang Gabi four times already, but it is the first time that a Pope leads it.
In 2021, the Philippines will mark its 500th year of Christianity.
Pope Francis said during the homily, “in recent decades, thanks to Filipino migrants, this devotion has crossed national borders and has arrived in many other countries.”
Francis appreciated the role of the Filipinos, especially the Overseas Filipino Workers, in spreading and making the Catholic Church grow.
Start of Simbang Gabi 2019 in the Philippines
Simbang Gabi (Filipino for “Night Mass”) is a devotional nine-day series of Masses practiced by Filipino Catholics and Aglipayans in the Philippines in anticipation of Christmas. This is similar to the nine-day series of dawn Masses leading to Christmas Eve practiced in Puerto Rico called Misa de Aguinaldo.
The Simbáng Gabi Masses schedule is held daily from December 16–24 and occurs at different times ranging from as early as 03:00 to 05:00 in the morning.
The Simbang Gabi originated in the early days of Spanish rule over the Philippines as a practical compromise for farmers, who began work before sunrise to avoid the noonday heat out in the fields. It started in 1669. Priests began to say Mass in the early mornings instead of the evening novenas more common in the rest of the Hispanic world. This cherished Christmas custom eventually became a distinct feature of Philippine culture and became a symbol of sharing.