October 7, 2025
MANILA – Pope Leo XIV offered prayers for the victims of the deadly magnitude 6.9 earthquake that hit Cebu.
“I express my closeness to the people of the Philippines, and in particular, I pray for all those who are severely affected by the consequences of this earthquake,” he said in Italian during his Sunday Angelus at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican.
“Let us remain united and in solidarity in our trusted God and in the intercession of our Blessed Mother,” he added.
READ: From Cebu to Rome: Pope Leo XIV’s deep ties with the Philippines
The pope’s deep ties to the Philippines date back to his visits several times before he was elected supreme leader of the Catholic Church.
As Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine from 2001 to 2013, he blessed churches, spoke to friars, and participated in jubilee celebrations in the country.
In 2008, he visited Cebu to lead the blessing of the Santo Niño Spirituality Center in Consolacion, marking the silver jubilee of the Augustinian Province of Santo Niño de Cebu, Philippines.
READ: Cebu quake: Key facts and updates
According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, the earthquake struck at 9:59 p.m. on Sept. 30, with its epicenter located 21 kilometers northeast of Bogo City in Cebu.
The agency has recorded a total of 7,092 aftershocks so far, with magnitudes ranging from 1.0 to 5.1.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Monday reported that the death toll from the earthquake has reached 72, while 559 individuals were injured. The agency said these figures are still subject to validation.
The NDRRMC also said that 155,094 families—or 547,394 individuals—were affected by the earthquake.
The quake severely damaged thousands of houses, including heritage churches such as the Parroquia de San Pedro Apostol and the centuries-old Archdiocesan Shrine of Santa Rosa de Lima in Daanbantayan town.