President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday joined Catholic leaders and devotees in welcoming the Pilgrim Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Malacañang, marking the launch of a nationwide Marian pilgrimage.
The President, accompanied by First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos, attended the Solemn Prayer and Blessing of the Pilgrim Images at the Palace Grounds. The ceremony gathered Church officials, government representatives, Marian organizations, and invited guests in prayer for the success of the pilgrimage.
During the rite of acceptance led by Kidapawan Bishop Colin Bagaforo, who serves as spiritual director of the pilgrimage, Marcos prayed for the Philippines to be spared from “hatred, violence, and conflicts” that divide and destroy the people.
He also prayed for the nation to be protected from “every kind of injustice in the life of society” and from “the loss of awareness of good and evil.”
The Palace event formed part of a series of activities welcoming the Pilgrim Images to the Philippines. Later in the day, Church leaders hosted a formal dinner reception for the Mexican delegation accompanying the pilgrimage.
Organizers said the reception served as an official meeting between representatives of Mexico and the Philippines, underscoring the long-standing friendship between the two countries, which share centuries of Catholic faith and devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The Pilgrim Image will be formally welcomed on June 13 during an Opening Mass at The Manila Cathedral, to be celebrated by Manila Archbishop Jose Fuerte Cardinal Advincula.
The pilgrimage, which will run until December 2026, forms part of the global preparation for the 500th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe to St. Juan Diego at Tepeyac in Mexico in 1531.
After the opening events, the Pilgrim Image will visit more than 40 cathedrals, shrines, and dioceses across the Philippines before its permanent installation at The Manila Cathedral.
Organizers described the pilgrimage as a nationwide invitation to prayer, spiritual renewal, and hope.