(Vatican Radio) The Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto, says he is looking forward to welcoming Pope Francis upon his arrival in Manila 15 January. He says the archipelago, Asia’s biggest Catholic nation, is still attempting to rebuild after the devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan (or Yolanda) in November 2013. 7,300 people were either confirmed dead or missing and tens of thousands of homes, businesses, healthcare facilities and schools were damaged or destroyed in the wake of Haiyan.
The head of Vatican Radio’s English Service, Sean Patrick Lovett, spoke with Archbishop Pinto about his visit to one of the hardest hit areas, Tacloban, for Christmas that year – just weeks after the deadly storm.
Listen to Sean Patrick Lovett’s interview with Archbishop Pinto:
“I saw destruction everywhere but people were ready to start again with their faith…” says the Archbishop.
The nuncio agrees that many Filipinos feel that their faith is stronger than a typhoon though it was put to the ultimate test in Tacloban, the “ground zero” of the storm. “Thousands of people lost everything.”
He adds that while many international aid agencies had set up operations to assist the local population and were greatly appreciated, the local community was not ready to give up, saying ‘we do what we can.’ “Because reconstructing thousands and thousands of homes will take 9-10 years,” admits the nuncio. “It is not easy because even the place is not easy to reach. “
Archbishop Pinto describes how two statues, of St. Joseph and of the Virgin Mary, were found standing upright, and intact, amid the typhoon’s debris. The local archbishop, he notes, went down into the destroyed chapel and risking his life, dug out the tabernacle containing the Eucharist. He recounts how the archbishop then gave the tabernacle a new home in his own house by constructing a temporary chapel with left-over materials like stones and wood.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Jesuit Father Louis Jerome is currently in Sri Lanka reporting on the first leg of the Apostolic journey of Pope Francis to Asia which takes him to this island nation and then on to the Philippines on Thursday 15th of January.
At the end of the second day of this visit on January14th, Father Jerome asked his fellow Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi who heads the Vatican Press Office to highlight some of the events of the Pope’s second day there.
Listen to Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi:
Father Lombardi began by shining the spotlight on the canonisation mass of seventeenth century Oratorian Father Joseph Vaz which he described as the most important event of the day at a pastoral level. Father Vaz he said, is a model of evangelisation, who served the poor, the sick and more broadly healed the wounds of the people. Striking on this occasion he went on to say was the importance the Catholics present paid to the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
In this interview Father Lombardi also highlighted the second moment of the day at the Marian Shrine of Madhu which he described as the most touching of the events on Tuesday from his personal point of view. It was he says a moment of prayerful devotion attended by over 300.000 people. One during which Pope Francis seemed visibly at ease and very ‘happy’ to be in this Marian shrine, the Mother of God he added is very near to his heart. Furthermore during this celebration attended by Sri Lankans from various linguistic groups the overall impression he remarked, was one of unity and harmony. And the presence there of Buddhist monks, enhanced the overall atmosphere of sincere reconciliation and love.
Beyond these two main events, in this interview Father Lombardi also pointed to conversion and forgiveness as inherent in all of the speeches or homilies delivered by Pope Francis in Sri Lanka. Not just for the Church but also more broadly in terms of society at large in this island nation.
Father Lombardi then spoke to Father Jerome of an event which recalled the inter-faith meeting on January 13th in Colombo. Pope Francis, he said is a man who believes in “personal encounters” and accomplished a further concrete sign of dialogue on Wednesday evening by visiting a Buddhist Temple.
A busy evening then as Father Lombardi recounted, as he also paid a courtesy visit to the former President of the nation as well as meet with the bishops of Sri Lanka to whom he expressed his gratitude for the growth of the mission in this land.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Jesuit Father Louis Jerome is currently in Sri Lanka reporting on the first leg of the Apostolic journey of Pope Francis to Asia which takes him to this island nation and then on to the Philippines on Thursday 15th of January. At the end of the second day of this visit on January14th,…
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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a telegramme to Italian President Giorgio Napolitano who handed in his resignation as head of state on Wednesday, leaving Prime Minister Matteo Renzi with the politically delicate task of finding a successor. The 89-year-old Napolitano was widely respected outside Italy as a guarantor of stability during the euro zone…
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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a telegramme to Italian President Giorgio Napolitano who handed in his resignation as head of state on Wednesday, leaving Prime Minister Matteo Renzi with the politically delicate task of finding a successor. The 89-year-old Napolitano was widely respected outside Italy as a guarantor of stability during the euro zone…
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