Pope Francis had arrive on January 15, Thursday (5:32 PM PST) in Manila at the "Villamor Air Base" which has already been discussed on the previous post (Day 1). So on his second day, he paid a visit to the Malacanang Palace. Instead of taking a ride on his "pope mobile", he rode on a "Volkswagen Touran".
Day 2 (January 16, Friday)
As the pope was drove to Malacanang, he rolled down the window of the car to wave his hands to the Filipino people.
The pope actually visited the Malacanang Palace (as the head of the Vatican) due to the courtesy call of the Philippine President Benigno Aquino III.
Speech from the Philippine President
At the presence of Pope Francis in Malacanang, President Benigno Aquino III had made a speech about the contribution of the local Church in the country especially in the past. At first, he acknowledged the local Church in their effort of opposing the undemocratic policies of the Marcos Administration which was also followed by the "People Power Revolution".
After recognizing the role of the local Church in the past, Aquino then criticized them for not taking action against "corruptions" and "abuses" of the previous Administrations (particularly during the time of the former Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo). As for the funny part, the President claims that some members of the local clergy were telling him something bad about his baldness.
Speech from Pope Francis
Pope Francis' speech was more focused on the government corruptions of the country. He told them that, as the political leaders, they themselves should set the example for "outstanding honesty, integrity and commitment to the common good". In addition to corruptions, they should also put more of their focus to the poor Filipino people. So instead of stealing from the government, those resources will serve much better if used to aid the poor.
The pontiff had also expressed his admiration to all Filipinos affected by the typhoon Yolanda because of their "heroic strength, faith and resiliencies". As a matter of fact, the purpose of his visit was to "express his closeness" to all Filipino people who endured and suffered losses caused by the devastation of the typhoon.
Mass at the Manila Cathedral
Pope Francis had finally chosen to take a ride on the popemobile on his way to the Manila Cathedral. At this place, a Mass was held but to only few selected participants. According to some sources, they are people composing of bishops, priests, nuns, seminarians and about 500 laypersons (a total of 1,500 individuals).
At the pontiff's homily, he addressed the issues regarding about the "inequality" and "injustice" to the Philippine society.
The pope's next held event was at the SM Mall of Asia Arena where he meet the "families". There were actually 300 Filipinos that belonged from the poor class that was invited by the Caritas Manila. They were given special treatment where they were assigned to occupy the center portion of the arena allowing them to have a clear and better view of the pope.
Day 3 (January 17, Saturday)
On the 3rd day of Pope Francis' visit, he paid a visit to the typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) victims in Palo, Leyte and had conducted a Mass.
The pope took a ride on the Airbus A320 flight (operated by the Philippine Airlines) where they took-off from the Villamor Air Base at exactly 7:37 AM (PST). At around 8:50 AM (PST), their plane arrived at the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport (Tacloban, Leyte). Pope Francis was then welcomed by Palo Archbishop John F. Du.
Pope Francis actually intends to visit various places of Leyte but unfortunately, typhoon "Amang" suddenly became stronger which was categorized by PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration) as storm signal no. 2. Thus, the Vatican had decided to shorten his trip.
The Holy Mass was held at the Tacloban Airport but after the mass, a tragic accident had occurred where a 27-year old women (from Samar) got caught under by a scaffolding cause by the strong winds of the typhoon. Sad to say that she died.
After the mass, the pope spent his time by having a launch together with the typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) survivors at the Archbishop's Residence in Palo. He then had a brief meeting with the families of the survivors of typhoon Yolanda and religious sectors of the community at the Palo Cathedral. Aside from meeting the survivors, the pope had also conducted a mass blessing to all the graves of the typhoon victims which completed his 3rd day visit.
Pope Francis returned in Manila at around 2:00 PM (PST).
Day 4 (January 18, Sunday)
On the 4th day of Pope Francis' visit in the Philippines, he visited the University of Santo Tomas where he met about 24,000 youth representatives along with other public spectators. The gathering was held at the University of Santo Tomas Field situated near the Grandstand.
Back in 1995 when Pope John Paul "the 2nd" visited the Philippines, he conducted a Mass known as "World Youth Day" at the Quirino Grandstand Luneta Park. At that time, there were about five million attendees setting a record for the largest papal gathering in the history. However, this record was broken by Pope Francis' on his third mass in the Philippines. According to the Metro Manila Development Authority, there were about six million Filipino people who attended the mass.
Day 5 (January 19, Monday)
President Benigno Aquino III and his Cabinet Secretaries along with the number of Catholic bishops had conducted a "leaving-ceremony" for the pontiff before he goes back to Rome. At around 10:12 AM (PST), the pope departed from the Manila airport on a chartered Philippine Airlines which was the "Airbus A340-300".
While Pope Francis was in the country, there were several controversies that circulated around the media and some unexpected incidents that occurred. Despite of the sad news, they became a part of the history's pontiff visit in the Philippines.
Controversies
1. Street Children were Driven by the Authorities
On January 14th, there was an exclusive report about an alleged "children rights violations" in Manila claiming that the authorities had driven away the street children. This was for the preparation of the pope's visit so that the guests won't be seeing them on sight. But in addition to driving them away, some sources claims that they were detained by the Philippine police authorities that some of them were treated with physical and sexual abuse. Worst, children who attempted to escape were chained into the pillars.
2. Pope Francis and President Aquino Speeches
Both Pope Francis and President Benigno Aquino III had their speech at the Malacanang Palace. They do both have a point but the difference was that, the pope's speech was greatly praised by the Filipino people while the president's speech was criticized by many.
3. No Race. No Religion T-Shirt
A controversial T-Shirt was pulled out from the shelves due to its "misleading" slogan, "No race. No religion. I embrace diversity". This T-Shirt was printed by one of the largest TV network in the Philippines, ABS-CBN and were sold at various shops in Manila.
4. Objects Used by the Pope
The pontiff had touched and used various objects on his visits in the country which includes his chair, cups and some piece of clothing. According to some individuals, they are now considered as holy-objects which must be treated with special care.
Did you know that the pope's raincoat was torn into small pieces and was distributed to the devotees?
Incidents
1. Bombardier Global Express Plane
Just minutes away when the pope left Tacloban, Bombardier Global Express plane had skidded off the runway of the Daniel Z. Romualdez airport upon its takeoff. On board the plane were Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, Communications Secretary Herminio "Sonny" Coloma Jr., Undersecretary Emmanuel Bautista and the officials' staff and security. Also included in the plane were the three airplane staffs. According to some sources, there were a total of 15 passengers on board the plane.
2. A 27 year-old Volunteer Died
Unfortunately, someone died during the time of the pontiffs visit in the Philippines. She was "Kristel Padasa", a 27 year-old women who was a charity worker.
At the event of Pope Francis' visit in Tacloban, Kristel was one of the volunteers at the mass held near airport. She then unexpectedly caught under by a scaffolding behind her that got collapse due to the strong winds caused by the in-coming typhoon, "Amang".
Kristel was immediately rushed into St. Paul's Hospital in Tacloban City. However, she was later pronounced dead shortly just after the Catholic church leaders had departed. According to some reports, the cause of her death was due to "skull fracture".
3. Two Women Fighting for their Spot
While the pope was conducting a mass, two women were causing a scene from the crowd fighting for the spot in which one of them claimed that she was there first.
Moreover, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle had invited Pope Francis to return next year because the Philippines will be the host of the "51st International Eucharistic Congress". This event will be held in Cebu on January 2016.
Will the pontiff accept the invitation?
Day 2 (January 16, Friday)
As the pope was drove to Malacanang, he rolled down the window of the car to wave his hands to the Filipino people.
The pope actually visited the Malacanang Palace (as the head of the Vatican) due to the courtesy call of the Philippine President Benigno Aquino III.
Speech from the Philippine President
At the presence of Pope Francis in Malacanang, President Benigno Aquino III had made a speech about the contribution of the local Church in the country especially in the past. At first, he acknowledged the local Church in their effort of opposing the undemocratic policies of the Marcos Administration which was also followed by the "People Power Revolution".
After recognizing the role of the local Church in the past, Aquino then criticized them for not taking action against "corruptions" and "abuses" of the previous Administrations (particularly during the time of the former Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo). As for the funny part, the President claims that some members of the local clergy were telling him something bad about his baldness.
Speech from Pope Francis
Pope Francis' speech was more focused on the government corruptions of the country. He told them that, as the political leaders, they themselves should set the example for "outstanding honesty, integrity and commitment to the common good". In addition to corruptions, they should also put more of their focus to the poor Filipino people. So instead of stealing from the government, those resources will serve much better if used to aid the poor.
The pontiff had also expressed his admiration to all Filipinos affected by the typhoon Yolanda because of their "heroic strength, faith and resiliencies". As a matter of fact, the purpose of his visit was to "express his closeness" to all Filipino people who endured and suffered losses caused by the devastation of the typhoon.
Mass at the Manila Cathedral
Pope Francis had finally chosen to take a ride on the popemobile on his way to the Manila Cathedral. At this place, a Mass was held but to only few selected participants. According to some sources, they are people composing of bishops, priests, nuns, seminarians and about 500 laypersons (a total of 1,500 individuals).
At the pontiff's homily, he addressed the issues regarding about the "inequality" and "injustice" to the Philippine society.
The pope's next held event was at the SM Mall of Asia Arena where he meet the "families". There were actually 300 Filipinos that belonged from the poor class that was invited by the Caritas Manila. They were given special treatment where they were assigned to occupy the center portion of the arena allowing them to have a clear and better view of the pope.
Day 3 (January 17, Saturday)
On the 3rd day of Pope Francis' visit, he paid a visit to the typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) victims in Palo, Leyte and had conducted a Mass.
The pope took a ride on the Airbus A320 flight (operated by the Philippine Airlines) where they took-off from the Villamor Air Base at exactly 7:37 AM (PST). At around 8:50 AM (PST), their plane arrived at the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport (Tacloban, Leyte). Pope Francis was then welcomed by Palo Archbishop John F. Du.
Pope Francis actually intends to visit various places of Leyte but unfortunately, typhoon "Amang" suddenly became stronger which was categorized by PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration) as storm signal no. 2. Thus, the Vatican had decided to shorten his trip.
The Holy Mass was held at the Tacloban Airport but after the mass, a tragic accident had occurred where a 27-year old women (from Samar) got caught under by a scaffolding cause by the strong winds of the typhoon. Sad to say that she died.
After the mass, the pope spent his time by having a launch together with the typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) survivors at the Archbishop's Residence in Palo. He then had a brief meeting with the families of the survivors of typhoon Yolanda and religious sectors of the community at the Palo Cathedral. Aside from meeting the survivors, the pope had also conducted a mass blessing to all the graves of the typhoon victims which completed his 3rd day visit.
Pope Francis returned in Manila at around 2:00 PM (PST).
Day 4 (January 18, Sunday)
On the 4th day of Pope Francis' visit in the Philippines, he visited the University of Santo Tomas where he met about 24,000 youth representatives along with other public spectators. The gathering was held at the University of Santo Tomas Field situated near the Grandstand.
Back in 1995 when Pope John Paul "the 2nd" visited the Philippines, he conducted a Mass known as "World Youth Day" at the Quirino Grandstand Luneta Park. At that time, there were about five million attendees setting a record for the largest papal gathering in the history. However, this record was broken by Pope Francis' on his third mass in the Philippines. According to the Metro Manila Development Authority, there were about six million Filipino people who attended the mass.
Day 5 (January 19, Monday)
President Benigno Aquino III and his Cabinet Secretaries along with the number of Catholic bishops had conducted a "leaving-ceremony" for the pontiff before he goes back to Rome. At around 10:12 AM (PST), the pope departed from the Manila airport on a chartered Philippine Airlines which was the "Airbus A340-300".
Controversies and Incidents During Pope Francis' Visits
While Pope Francis was in the country, there were several controversies that circulated around the media and some unexpected incidents that occurred. Despite of the sad news, they became a part of the history's pontiff visit in the Philippines.
Controversies
1. Street Children were Driven by the Authorities
On January 14th, there was an exclusive report about an alleged "children rights violations" in Manila claiming that the authorities had driven away the street children. This was for the preparation of the pope's visit so that the guests won't be seeing them on sight. But in addition to driving them away, some sources claims that they were detained by the Philippine police authorities that some of them were treated with physical and sexual abuse. Worst, children who attempted to escape were chained into the pillars.
2. Pope Francis and President Aquino Speeches
Both Pope Francis and President Benigno Aquino III had their speech at the Malacanang Palace. They do both have a point but the difference was that, the pope's speech was greatly praised by the Filipino people while the president's speech was criticized by many.
3. No Race. No Religion T-Shirt
A controversial T-Shirt was pulled out from the shelves due to its "misleading" slogan, "No race. No religion. I embrace diversity". This T-Shirt was printed by one of the largest TV network in the Philippines, ABS-CBN and were sold at various shops in Manila.
4. Objects Used by the Pope
The pontiff had touched and used various objects on his visits in the country which includes his chair, cups and some piece of clothing. According to some individuals, they are now considered as holy-objects which must be treated with special care.
Did you know that the pope's raincoat was torn into small pieces and was distributed to the devotees?
Incidents
1. Bombardier Global Express Plane
Just minutes away when the pope left Tacloban, Bombardier Global Express plane had skidded off the runway of the Daniel Z. Romualdez airport upon its takeoff. On board the plane were Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, Communications Secretary Herminio "Sonny" Coloma Jr., Undersecretary Emmanuel Bautista and the officials' staff and security. Also included in the plane were the three airplane staffs. According to some sources, there were a total of 15 passengers on board the plane.
2. A 27 year-old Volunteer Died
Unfortunately, someone died during the time of the pontiffs visit in the Philippines. She was "Kristel Padasa", a 27 year-old women who was a charity worker.
At the event of Pope Francis' visit in Tacloban, Kristel was one of the volunteers at the mass held near airport. She then unexpectedly caught under by a scaffolding behind her that got collapse due to the strong winds caused by the in-coming typhoon, "Amang".
Kristel was immediately rushed into St. Paul's Hospital in Tacloban City. However, she was later pronounced dead shortly just after the Catholic church leaders had departed. According to some reports, the cause of her death was due to "skull fracture".
3. Two Women Fighting for their Spot
While the pope was conducting a mass, two women were causing a scene from the crowd fighting for the spot in which one of them claimed that she was there first.
![Catholic Mass](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisyEv_-makqqbzaktB6kIrTO6dPY7pNpNlIvH2XPP-3c_s-c-YKIm2Ytkv5DWMqWajiEuN_7FFPGQbBywsaXNJPWdCOtRx4HtcgCYuZ4e5-ZwLN4mcArN-fjUPzWlxKvyL1nOznQWPQVU/s320/catholic_mass.jpg)
Moreover, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle had invited Pope Francis to return next year because the Philippines will be the host of the "51st International Eucharistic Congress". This event will be held in Cebu on January 2016.
Will the pontiff accept the invitation?
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