The Pope of the People
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936 in
Buenos Aires, Argentina, is the 266th leader of the Roman Catholic Church succeeding Pope Benedict XVI after his resignation due to health
conditions. After a papal conclave he was officially announced as the new
Pope on March 13, 2013. He is the first Jesuit pope, the first from the
Americas, the first from the Southern Hemisphere and the first non-European
pope since the Syrian Gregory III in 741.
He chose "Francis" as his papal name in honor of Saint
Francis of Assisi. Just like St. Francis of Assisi, he is well known for being very
down-to-earth and with high regards to the poor, the sick and the
children expressing his love and care by spontaneously kissing and hugging them and praying for them.
The "Pope Francis Effect"
A lot of people say that the moment they encounter Pope Francis, they see Jesus in him. It is his sweet smile, pleasant aura and humbleness that made the Filipinos fall in love him even more.
Thousands to Millions of Filipinos have flocked together to see Pope Francis from the time he landed to Villamor Airbase, on his way to the Apostolic Nunciature, and even attended the Holy Mass in held Manila Cathedral, Tacloban Airport and in Quirino Granstand, in Manila.
Filipinos proved their love to the pope and faith as they patiently waited for him amidst the bad weather condition in Leyte brought by the typhoon Amang on January 17, 2015 . It was actually in solidarity with the victims of super typhoon Yolanda that the Pope visited the Philippines. While the Holy Mass is being celebrated, strong winds and rain transpired that even the Pope experienced. According to some reports, it was the first time the highest leader of the Roman Catholic Church held a mass in an open area in the middle of a catastrophe and wearing a yellow raincoat, same raincoat the audience in wearing.
 |
| Pope Francis as he greets and blesses the Yolanda survivors. (Photo credits: ph.news.yahoo.com) |
During his homily, Pope Francis opted to "speak from his heart" using his own language, Latin, rather than read his prepared message written in English. So he spoke to the people through a very good interpreter.
“I’d like to tell you something close to my heart. When I saw from Rome the catastrophe, I felt that I had to be here, and on those very days I decided to come here. I am here to be with you. And though late, I have to say, I am here. I come to tell you that Jesus is Lord. and He never lets us down”. This was Pope Francis' heartfelt message to the survivors and victims of the super typhoon Yolanda that somehow alleviated their pains and sufferings in losing some of their homes and loved ones. Some of the audience were seen wiping tears from their eyes after hearing that message.
Sea of Sterling Faith
.jpg) |
| Aerial shot of the approximated 6 million crowd during the Mass held by Pope Francis in Quirino Grandstand in Manila on January 18, 2015 (Photo Credit: by Gel Francisco [interaksyon.com]) |
Other activities that the Pope had during his visit includes: visiting an orphanage in Manila, meeting with the family, with the youth, and with the Jesuits in the Philippines. Aside from his visit in Leyte, another highlight of this Papal visit was the concluding mass held in Quirino Grandstand in Manila on January 18, 2015 which is being considered the largest Christian gathering in the history of Papal event. According to MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino, around 6 million crowd come together creating a "Sea of Faith".
Even Pope Francis cannot help but ask and wonder how many people were there. He was overwhelmed by the Filipino faith despite of the rain, still brought by the typhoon Amang.
 |
| "The Filipino faith is waterproof" (Photo Credit: newsinfo.inquirer.net) |
Credits:
Wikipedia
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/665998/festive-mood-greets-pope-francis-arrival-in-luneta
http://dzmm.abs-cbnnews.com/news/National/Pope_Francis_sa_Pilipinas,_'largest_papal_event'_sa_kasaysayan.html
No comments:
Post a Comment