(Vatican Radio) At the conclusion of Pope Francis’s dramatic day in the central Filipino cities of Tacloban and Palo, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle joined the head of the Holy See press office, Fr Federico Lombardi to share impressions and answer journalists’ questions.
The cardinal revealed how moved Pope Francis was by the experiences of those most badly affected by the 2013 Typhoon Yolanda, the strongest storm ever recorded on land, which killed thousands and left up to a million people homeless.
Though he was forced to cut short his official programme because of another storm on Saturday, Cardinal Tagle says the Pope was determined to meet first hand with the people of Tacloban and Palo, including a group of 30 survivors who were able to share their stories of suffering with him…
Listen:
Cardinal Tagle says he will never forget the face of the Pope listening to each survivor’s experience of losing parents, spouses, children or all their possessions. He says the Pope was suffering and was reduced to silence, which he described as “the communion and solidarity that happens in silence”….
The Cardinal says Pope Francis also blessed a new centre for the poor, named after him, and went onto the cathedral in Palo where he had a few minutes to apologise to the people inside and bless them before his plane had to depart for Manila….
The Filipino leaders says he took it for granted that the Pope would bring inspiration to people in his country but he was really curious to see how the Pope would be affected by his people. When he asked him on the plane if he was tired or fearful of his first typhoon experience, the Pope replied that this visit is a learning experience for him……
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) At the conclusion of Pope Francis’s dramatic day in the central Filipino cities of Tacloban and Palo, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle joined the head of the Holy See press office, Fr Federico Lombardi to share impressions and answer journalists’ questions. The cardinal revealed how moved Pope Francis was by the experiences of those…
Read more
(Vatican Radio) Speaking after today’s intense experience on the Island of Leyte, during which bad weather forced organizers to cut short the Pope’s schedule, Father Federico Lombardi SJ expressed his belief that the Pope’s encounter with survivors of the 2013 Typhoon represents one of the highlights of his Asian journey.
Speaking to Vatican Radio’s Sean Patrick Lovett, the Director of the Vatican Press Office pointed to Pope Francis’ off-the-cuff homily in which he said “So many of you have lost everything. I do not know what to tell you. But surely he knows what to tell you! So many of you have lost members of your family. I can only be silent; I accompany you silently, with my heart…” as the central moment of this part of his visit. “It was the moment during which we really understood his desire to be with these people in this situation” he said.
Listen to the interview :
Lombardi points out that from the very beginning, the Pope had said that it was when “he saw the images of the typhoon and the disaster that he decided to come here”.
“This is actually the end of a long journey that did not begin in Manila, but in Rome just over a year ago on the day of the typhoon” he said.
And remarking on the fact that for the Pope being here on a day of strong wind and rain, Lombardi says “it was a new experience” because this kind of weather does not happen in his native Argentina, or in Rome for that matter, but here – he said – the people are normally subject to a particularly critical situation.
“To be here, not on a sunny day, but on a day of rain and wind, this was the concrete situation in which the experience of being with the people was totally credible” he said.
Lombardi also speaks of how moved the Pope is as he experiences the affection of the Filipino people: “You cannot be indifferent to see on the streets hundreds of thousands of people waiting to see you for hours, even if you have not the time to meet them personally, they are happy to see you and feel your presence and encouragement”.
He says the Pope really feels this particular attitude Filipinos have toward s the Pope and towards the religious experience.
And as we know, Lombardi said, “he has the poor always at the center of his attention and if he has the occasion to be with them concretely in concrete situations such as this, then the experience is even stronger and more profound”.
“I think today was the most profound and intense moment of this journey” he said.
(from Vatican Radio)…
Bulletin: January 18, 2015-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Pope Francis on Saturday visited the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of our Lord, Palo, Philippines, where he was to address Priests, Religious, Seminarians and Families. Due to bad weather the Holy Father had to reschedule his plans and leave early. He met all those that had gathered at the Cathedral briefly praying with them and…
Read more