Papal awardee

Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula (left), on behalf of Pope Francis, confers the Cross Pro Ecclesia Et Pontifice on Manila Electric Company chairman and chief executive Manuel Pangilinan at the Manila Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception on Jan. 17 in recognition of his decades of Christian charity and commitment to humanitarian causes. The award, which translates to ‘For Church and Pope’, is an honor given by the Pope to the laity for their service to the Catholic Church. Instituted by Pope Leo XIII in 1888, the gold medal features the images of the Apostles Peter and Paul.