Philippine Showbiz Today Vol 13 No 7 | Page 4

4 Philippine Showbiz Today April 8 - 21, 2018 Pope Francis’ Easter Message 2018 Under tight security in St. Peter’s Square in Rome, tens of thousands of worshipers from around the word thronged to a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis on Easter Sunday. The pope began: “Our faith is born on Easter morning: Jesus is alive! The experience is at the heart of the Christian message.” He then delivered the papal blessing “Urbi et Orbi” (“To the City and to the World”) from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. The night before, Francis celebrated an Easter Vigil service at St. Peter’s, where he baptized eight adults into the Roman Catholic faith, including a Nigerian migrant, John Ogah, called a hero in Italy for foiling a robbery. In his message on Sunday, the pope called for peace in a world marked by war and conflict. He cited a need to end the “carnage” in “the beloved and long-suffering land of Syria.” He urged “reconciliation” in the Middle East and pressed for “the fruits of dialogue” to defuse tensions on the Korean Peninsula. He also called attention to the “hunger, endemic conflicts and terrorism” suffered by parts of Africa. Francis also touched on the problems in Venezuela, voicing hope that the country would “find a just, peaceful and humane way to Duterte’s Easter Sunday message: Be humble, forgive surmount quickly the political and humanitarian crises that grip it.” The pope said the message of the Resurrection offered hope in a world “marked by so many acts of injustice and violence.” He added: “It bears fruits of hope and dignity where there are deprivation and exclusion, hunger and unemployment; where there are migrants and refugees, so often rejected by today’s culture of waste, and victims of the drug trade, human trafficking and contemporary forms of slavery.” At the Mass, Francis urged Catholics not to remain paralyzed in the face of injustice, and he challenged them to “break out” of their routines and to let God in.● - CNA Jollibee opens third store in Canada  The biggest fast food chain in Asia continues to expand its market in Canada.  Jollibee opened its third store in Canada on April 1, coinciding with Easter Sunday.  The third Jollibee location is in Scarborough in Toronto, Ontario. It is estimated that there are around 300,000 Filipinos in the province of Ontario. The two other Canadian lo- cations are in Winnipeg. Jollibee has more than 1,000 locations in the Philippines. Since opening in Quezon City in 1975, Jol- libee has developed a loyal following among Filipinos. It is famous for its fried chicken, pineapple-topped burgers, peach- mango pie, and spaghetti. Jollibee began expansion into North America in 1998, with the To- ronto location being the 40th fran- chise to open in the continent. Jollibee has plans to continue expanding in North America and Canada, with locations in New York City, Las Vegas and somewhere in California all expected shortly. The Manila-based company is expected to open an Edmonton res- taurant in a couple years with additional plans for locations in Mississauga and downtown Toronto.● ‘May we nurture humility and forgiveness in our hearts as these will free us from the shackles of hatred and greed,’ says President Rodrigo Duterte President Rodrigo Duterte on Easter Sunday, April 1, encouraged Filipinos to be humble and to forgive. “As we remember Christ’s triumphs against death, may we nurture humility and forgiveness in our hearts as these will free us from the shackles of hatred and greed,” the President said in his message. He added: “For it is only by being selfless that we can truly say we are worthy of God’s love.” Durerte also called on Filipinos to offer aid to the needy. “Let us make this occasion more meaningful by offering aid to others, especially to those in need. Let us pray for the welfare and safety of our countrymen and for lasting peace in our nation so that we can all work together in harmony towards real change,” he added. The President’s Easter Sunday message has the same tone as his Palm Sunday message, where he called on people to “help and uplift the downtrodden.” Duterte spent the Holy Week break in Davao City, celebrating his 73rd birthday at home with his grandchildren.● Latest Jollibee in Toronto, Ontario, Canada