The Pasay City government welcomed Papal Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Charles John Brown in Malibay on 16 May 2024.

Malibay celebrated the feast of St. John Nepomucene.

Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano and city officials led the arrival ceremony of the Papal Nuncio.

They walked from Malibay Plaza to the San Juan Nepomuceno Parish Church greeting barangay officials and residents on the way.

Upon arrival to the church, Archbishop Brown prayed and blessed the image of Saint John Nepomucene.

He also led the High Mass of the parish to mark the beginning of celebration.

Brown remembered the life of St. John Nepomucene and reflected his martyrdom of protecting confessions.

Confession is also known as the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

According to Brown, the act of confession to St. John Nepomucene was essential to Christian life.

"He knew that confession, the reconciliation is essential to christian life, without confession we are left with the separation, the division and isolation of our sins, when we sin we become divided from ourselves," Brown said in his homily.

Meanwhile, Mayor Rubiano honored St. John Nepomucene and reflected on the importance of the Feast.

"In today's ever evolving time, with technology is at its peak, and how progressive we are all aiming to become. This celebration and welcoming is a great reminder of what is of utmost importance -- faith, hope and love," she said.

"San Juan Nepomuceno, you are a great blessing for us and thru this great blessing we have a lot to share and be thankful for," she added.

St. John Nepomucene was a priest in the city of Prague in the Czech Republic in 1393.

He was thrown to a river, drowned and died at the age of 47 or 48 after refusing to divulge details of confession.

He was beatified in May 1721 and canonized by Pope Benedict XIII on March 1729.