Pope Francis
Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...
made a pastoral and state visit to the
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
from January 15 to 19, 2015. He was the third pontiff to visit the Philippines after
Paul VI in 1970 and
John Paul II
Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005.
In his you ...
in 1981 and
1995
1995 was designated as:
* United Nations Year for Tolerance
* World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War
This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
, officially the first papal visit in the 21st century and 3rd millennium after the title was originally scheduled for
World Meeting of Families
The World Meeting of Families is a gathering of the Roman Catholic Church that has occurred every three years since 1994. It is organized by the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, which "promotes the pastoral care of families, protects their r ...
twelve years earlier in 2003 but postponed due to John Paul II being unable to attend because of the progression of his
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...
, and fourth papal visit to the country overall.
Besides Manila,
Francis
Francis may refer to:
People and characters
*Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church (2013–2025)
*Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Francis (surname)
* Francis, a character played by YouTuber Boogie2 ...
visited
Tacloban
Tacloban ( ; ), officially the City of Tacloban (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city on Leyte island in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, Tacloban has a popu ...
and
Palo, Leyte, to encourage the victims of
Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) and
Typhoon Hagupit (Ruby).
The Filipinos nicknamed Francis ("Grandpa Francis") as a term of endearment, which he commended. Around 6–7 million attended Francis' final
Papal Mass
A Papal Mass is the Solemn Pontifical High Mass celebrated by the Pope. It is celebrated on such occasions as a papal coronation, an ''ex cathedra'' pronouncement, the canonization of a saint, on Easter or Christmas or other major feast days.
...
at Luneta, surpassing the crowd at
World Youth Day 1995 in the same venue and making it the largest papal crowd in history. The theme of Francis' 2015 visit was "
Mercy
Mercy (Middle English, from Anglo-French , from Medieval Latin , "price paid, wages", from Latin , "merchandise") is benevolence, forgiveness, and kindness in a variety of ethical, religious, social, and legal contexts.
In the social and le ...
and Compassion" ().
Background
Invitation and planning
Efforts to get Pope Francis to visit the Philippines began at his enthronement,
[ when Cardinal ]Luis Antonio Tagle
Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle ( , ; born June 21, 1957) is a Filipino prelate of the Catholic Church, and has been the Dicastery for Evangelization, Pro-Prefect for the Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches of the Dicastery fo ...
personally requested the visit.[
In a ]pastoral letter
A pastoral letter, often simply called a pastoral, is an open letter addressed by a bishop to the clergy or laity of a diocese or to both, containing general admonition, instruction or consolation, or directions for behaviour in particular circu ...
dated July 7, 2014, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (abbreviated as CBCP) is the permanent organizational assembly of the Catholic bishops of the Philippines exercising together certain pastoral offices for the Christian faithful of their terr ...
announced the theme of the papal visit, "A Nation of Mercy and Compassion." The theme was later shortened to "Mercy and Compassion".
Security
Military and police mobilization
Philippine authorities mobilized about 37,500 police and military personnel in Manila, Tacloban, and Palo during the visit: 7,000 from the Armed Forces
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a ...
plus 5,000 reservists, 25,000 police officers, and a 450-man security force recently returned from United Nations peacekeeping
Peacekeeping by the United Nations is a role of the United Nations's Department of Peace Operations and an "instrument developed by the organization as a way to help countries torn by conflict to create the conditions for lasting peace". It is ...
missions in the Golan Heights
The Golan Heights, or simply the Golan, is a basaltic plateau at the southwest corner of Syria. It is bordered by the Yarmouk River in the south, the Sea of Galilee and Hula Valley in the west, the Anti-Lebanon mountains with Mount Hermon in t ...
and Liberia
Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to Guinea–Liberia border, its north, Ivory Coast to Ivory Coast–Lib ...
. Snipers were also deployed in buildings along Roxas Boulevard in Manila.
International coordination
The Philippine government coordinated with Interpol
The International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL (abbreviated as ICPO–INTERPOL), commonly known as Interpol ( , ; stylized in allcaps), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and crime cont ...
and with other Southeast Asian states to monitor people who may have been on Interpol's watch list of those who went to Iraq
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
or Syria
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
to join the Islamic State
The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadism, Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS ...
militant group. "We're touching base with so many allies to ... identify any threat whatsoever coming from any direction," then-President Benigno Aquino III
Benigno Simeon Aquino III (; born Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III; February 8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as the 15th president of the Philippines ...
commented on the coordination efforts.
The Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...
of the United States and the Vatican had also sent intelligence agent
Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering, as a subfield of the intelligence field, is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence). A person who commits espionage on a mission-specific contract is called an ''e ...
s to the Philippines to assess the security situation ahead of the papal visit.
Foiled terror plot
On January 22, it was revealed by Philippine authorities that weeks prior to the papal visit a plot to detonate a bomb on the papal convoy by Jemaah Islamiyah was foiled by the Philippine Armed Forces and National Police. The Swiss Guards tasked to guard the pope's personal security were also instrumental in foiling the plot. The plot was confirmed by intelligence counterparts from neighboring countries.
Additional deployment to key areas by the military was made following the foiled attack. Part of the Light Reaction Company, which received training assistance from the United States, and extra military armored assets were deployed during Pope Francis's mass at Luneta. Security forces also made changes to their preparation to mislead potential attackers. The foiled plot was also the reason for the intentional jamming of cellular signals around areas where the pope visited.[
]
Crowd control
The Department of Public Works and Highways
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH; ) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for serving as the country's engineering and construction arm. It is tasked with implementing the government's policy to ...
utilized at least 23,000 concrete barriers along the route the pope took around Metro Manila to restrain the crowd from blocking the pope's motorcade. Each barrier measures about 1.25 meters high, some being borrowed from the North
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography.
Etymology
T ...
and South Luzon Expressways. During John Paul II's visit devotees had rushed into the streets slowing down or stopping the pope's motorcade, which the concrete barriers were meant to forestall.
A uniformed human barricade of 11,000 barangay
The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...
officials and 5,000 parishioners from Manila secured Pope Francis, and 5,000 students from the University of Santo Tomas volunteered as a human barricade during the pope's visit to the university.
Theme song
Filipina singer Jamie Rivera sang "We Are All God's Children", the official theme song for the Papal visit, with lyrics penned by Rivera herself, and music composed and arranged by Noel Espenida. The song's theme is about "humility" and "solidarity with the poor and mercy to the weak". A music video was made available on YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
.
Venues
Metro Manila
VillamorAirBasej-Bulacanf0894_11.JPG, Villamor Air Base
The Manila Cathedral (17293888135).jpg, Manila Cathedral
UST Grandstand feb 2015.jpg, The UST Grandstand at the University of Santo Tomas Field
File:Quirino Grandstand (Manila; 12-30-2019).jpg, Quirino Grandstand
Papal Mass stage in Tacloban.JPG, Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport
Palo Cathedral 14.JPG, Metropolitan Cathedral of our Lord's Transfiguration, also known as the Palo Cathedral
Visit
Day 1: January 15, Thursday
Pope Francis, who came from a papal visit to Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
, arrived in Manila through Villamor Air Base
Colonel Jesus Villamor Air Base, known simply as Villamor Air Base , is the headquarters of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) and shares runways with Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). It was formerly known as Nichols Field or Nichols ...
riding a chartered Airbus A340-300 of SriLankan Airlines
SriLankan Airlines is the flag carrier of Sri Lanka and a member airline of the Oneworld airline alliance. It was launched in 1979 as Air Lanka following the termination of operations of the original Sri Lankan flag carrier Air Ceylon. As of t ...
(flight UL4111, registered 4R-ADF). However, as soon as the Pope stepped out of the plane, his zucchetto
The zucchetto (, also ,["zucchetto"](_blank)
(US) and ,< ...
was blown away due to strong winds. He was welcomed by then-President Benigno Aquino III and several other government officials and church leaders. He arrived in the country at 5:32pm PST about 13 minutes ahead of his expected arrival time. For 15 minutes, which started at 5:30pm PST, all Catholic churches around the country rang their bells to signal the Pope's arrival, as directed by the Bishops' Conference
An episcopal conference, often also called a bishops’ conference or conference of bishops, is an official assembly of the Bishop (Catholic Church), bishops of the Catholic Church in a given territory. Episcopal conferences have long existed as i ...
head Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan.
The pope was welcomed at the air base by 1,200 students from different Catholic schools in the Diocese of Parañaque, which covers the cities of Parañaque
Parañaque, officially the City of Parañaque (, ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of ...
, Las Piñas
Las Piñas (, officially the City of Las Piñas (), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of ...
and Muntinlupa
Muntinlupa (), officially the City of Muntinlupa (), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population o ...
. The students danced to the tunes ''Piliin Mo ang Pilipinas'' sung by Angeline Quinto, ''Kapayapaan'' by Tropical Depression, and ''Sayaw ng Pagbati''. These are traditional Easter Sunday
Easter, also called Pascha (Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek language, Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, de ...
songs in Parañaque.
The delegation of religious officials and politicians welcoming the pope at the air base included:
Government officials
*President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
*'' Præsident ...
Benigno Aquino III
Benigno Simeon Aquino III (; born Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III; February 8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as the 15th president of the Philippines ...
*Vice President
A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...
Jejomar Binay
* Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, Jr.
* Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario
* Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima
* Justice Secretary Leila de Lima
* Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson
* Education Secretary Armin Luistro
* Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin
* Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas
* Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya
* Budget Secretary Florencio Abad
* NEDA Director General Arsenio Balisacan
Religious officials
* Manila Archbishop and Cardinal
Cardinal or The Cardinal most commonly refers to
* Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of three species in the family Cardinalidae
***Northern cardinal, ''Cardinalis cardinalis'', the common cardinal of ...
Luis Antonio Tagle
Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle ( , ; born June 21, 1957) is a Filipino prelate of the Catholic Church, and has been the Dicastery for Evangelization, Pro-Prefect for the Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches of the Dicastery fo ...
* Cotabato Archbishop and Cardinal
Cardinal or The Cardinal most commonly refers to
* Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of three species in the family Cardinalidae
***Northern cardinal, ''Cardinalis cardinalis'', the common cardinal of ...
Orlando Quevedo
* Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop and CBCP President Socrates B. Villegas
* Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma S.J.
* Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles
* Cabanatuan Bishop Sofronio Bancud
*La Union Bishop Rodolfo Beltran
* Malaybalay Bishop Jose Cabantan
*Prelate of Infanta Bernardino Cortez
* Daet Bishop Gilbert Garcera
*Vicar Apostolic of Jolo Angelito Lampon
* Lucena Bishop Emilio Z. Marquez
* Parañaque Bishop Jesse Mercado
* CBCP Secretary General Rev. Father Marvin Mejia
The pope then proceeded in an open-air popemobile
The popemobile (Latin: ''papacinetum'' or ''papocinetum''; Italian language, Italian: ''papamobile)'' is a specially designed motor vehicle used by the pope for public appearances. It is the successor to the ''sedia gestatoria'' (portable throne) ...
to the Apostolic Nunciature
An apostolic nunciature is a top-level diplomatic mission of the Holy See that is equivalent to an embassy. However, it neither issues visas nor has consul (representative), consulates.
The head of the apostolic nunciature is called a ''nuncio ...
in Manila, which served as the official residence during his stay in the country. On his way to the nunciature, the pope was welcomed by thousands of devotees and enthusiasts.
Day 2: January 16, Friday
The pope rode a "close and more formal" Volkswagen Touran to the Malacañang Palace
Malacañang Palace (, ), officially known as Malacañán Palace, is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the Philippines. It is located in the Manila district of San Miguel, Manila, San Miguel, along Jose Laurel S ...
, rolling down the window to wave to people waiting to have a glimpse of him. He went to Malacañang as the head of state of the Vatican
Vatican may refer to:
Geography
* Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy
* Vatican Hill, in Rome, namesake of Vatican City
* Ager Vaticanus, an alluvial plain in Rome
* Vatican, an unincorporated community in the ...
and had a courtesy call with then-President Benigno Aquino III
Benigno Simeon Aquino III (; born Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III; February 8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as the 15th president of the Philippines ...
, also meeting diplomats and officials at Rizal Memorial Hall.
The then-President Aquino made a speech before those in attendance at Malacañang, in which he spoke of the role of the local Church in the recent history of the country. He acknowledged its major role in opposing former President Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. (September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino lawyer, politician, dictator, and Kleptocracy, kleptocrat who served as the tenth president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled the c ...
and criticized undemocratic policies that led to Marcos's downfall through the 1986 People Power Revolution
The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, were a series of popular Demonstration (people), demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a ...
. However, Aquino criticized the local Church for its alleged inaction against "abuses" by "previous administrations" and for lobbying against the Reproductive Health Law even before its passage as a law. Aquino criticized the local Church for allegedly being too critical of him with some members of the local clergy "telling him to do something about balding hair". The then-president later changed his tone and praised the pope. The speech by Aquino proved controversial and drew mixed reactions online.
After Aquino's speech, Francis made his first public speech and tackled the issue of corruption in the country. He urged political leaders to be "outstanding for honesty, integrity, and commitment to the common good." He added that they must listen to the concerns of the poor and tackle the "glaring and indeed scandalous social inequalities" in society. The pope also called on Filipinos "at all levels of society to reject every form of corruption which diverts resources from the poor, and to make concerted efforts to ensure the inclusion of every man, woman, and child in the life of the community." The pope also hailed the resiliency of millions of Filipinos who were affected by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). "This visit is meant to express my closeness to our brothers and sisters who endured and suffered loss and devastation caused by typhoon Yolanda," Francis said, using the local name of the typhoon. "I admire the heroic strength, faith, and resilience demonstrated by so many Filipinos in the face of natural disaster," he added.
The pope later rode the popemobile to Manila Cathedral
The Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, commonly known as the Manila Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic basilica and cathedral church of the Archdiocese of Manila. It is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary of ...
to celebrate Mass
Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...
. Before Mass, he and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle
Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle ( , ; born June 21, 1957) is a Filipino prelate of the Catholic Church, and has been the Dicastery for Evangelization, Pro-Prefect for the Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches of the Dicastery fo ...
met privately for about fifteen minutes with street children served by the Tulay ng Kabataan Foundation. These children had sent 1,000 letters requesting the pope to meet with them in person. The Mass was closed to the public, with only 1,500 selected people in attendance – bishops, priests, nuns, and seminarians, plus 500 laypersons. In his homily, the pope highlighted the role of the Catholic Church in addressing the issues of inequality and injustice and leading the Philippine society from the "confusing presentations of sexuality, marriage, and family." The attendees led by Manila Archbishop and Cardinal Luis Tagle welcomed the pope and related the history of the cathedral, which was rebuilt numerous times after being destroyed by natural and manmade calamities, showing the resiliency of the Filipino people. Authorities estimated that about 22,000 people gathered outside the cathedral during the Mass, with 12,000 at Plaza Roma, and 10,000 in nearby streets. In an unexpected move, Pope Francis used the side doors as his exit after the Mass and walked towards Gen. Luna Street of Intramuros
Intramuros () is the historic walled area within the city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. It is administered by the Intramuros Administration with the help of the city government of Manila.
Intramuros comprises a centuries-old hist ...
to visit the street children of Anak-TnK. He returned to the Apostolic Nunciature before heading towards the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The pope then met with families at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. Each of the country's 86 dioceses were to send 100 people for the meeting. In addition, 300 people from the poor sector were selected by Caritas Manila and filled the center of the arena directly facing the pope. Francis had requested that no people be seated at his back during the meeting.
Back at the Apostolic Nunciature, Pope Francis, a Jesuit
The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
himself, accommodated 40 Filipino Jesuits. The Filipino Jesuits were privately informed of the meeting that was disclosed to the public only afterwards.
Day 3: January 17, Saturday
Pope Francis departed from Villamor Air Base at 7:37am PST for Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport
Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport , also known as Tacloban City Airport, is an airport serving the general area of Tacloban, a highly urbanized city in the Leyte island of the Philippines. It is the main gateway from Manila and Cebu to Eastern Visayas ...
in Tacloban
Tacloban ( ; ), officially the City of Tacloban (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city on Leyte island in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, Tacloban has a popu ...
, Leyte
Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census.
Since the accessibility of land has been ...
, on a chartered Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a series of narrow-body airliners developed and produced by Airbus.
The A320 was launched in March 1984, Maiden flight, first flew on 22 February 1987, and was introduced in April 1988 by Air France.
The first membe ...
flight operated by Philippine Airlines
Philippine Airlines (PAL) is the flag carrier of the Philippines. Headquartered at the Philippine National Bank, PNB Financial Center in Pasay, the airline was founded in 1941 and is the oldest operating commercial airline in Asia.
Philippine ...
, arriving in Tacloban at approximately 8:50am PST, where he was welcomed by Palo Archbishop John F. Du together with local government officials Leyte Governor Leopoldo Petilla, representative from 1st district of Leyte
Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census.
Since the accessibility of land has been ...
Martin Romualdez
Ferdinand Martin Gomez Romualdez (, born November 14, 1963) is a Filipino businessman, lawyer, and politician who has served as the 24th Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, speaker of the House of Representatives since 2 ...
, Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez and Palo, Leyte Mayor Remedios Petilla. The pope's trip to Leyte was shortened as decided by the Vatican due to Tropical Storm Mekkhala (Amang). Leyte had been placed under storm signal no. 2 earlier in the morning by the Philippine weather service. The pontiff led the celebration of Mass on a specially constructed stage, composed of '' sawali'' or woven bamboo mats, at the airport. Among the languages used during the Mass were Waray, Cebuano, English, Filipino, Hiligaynon, Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
, and Spanish.
At the Archbishop's Residence in Palo, Francis had lunch with survivors of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) and of the earlier Bohol earthquake. He then blessed the Pope Francis Center for the Poor, a facility in Palo funded by the Pontifical Council Cor Unum. It has a clinic, chapel, home for the sick and elderly, and orphanage. Construction took five months and was completed in December 2014. The pope had a brief meeting with seminarians, priests, religious community members, and families of survivors of Typhoon Haiyan at the Palo Cathedral and blessed a mass grave of those who had died during the typhoon. He departed from Tacloban for Manila at 1:07pm PST, apologizing for having to leave four hours before his scheduled time.
Francis' arrival at Villamor Air Base in Manila at around 2:00pm PST was greeted by high-ranking officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) () are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Philippine Army, Army, the Philippine Air Force, Air Force, and the Philippine Navy, Navy (including the P ...
and Philippine National Police
The Philippine National Police (PNP; ) is the national police force of the Philippines. Its national headquarters is located at Camp Crame in Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Quezon City. Currently, it has approximately 228,000 personnel to police a pop ...
together with their families. Children and the sick lined the apron and were blessed by the pope.
Day 4: January 18, Sunday
At around 9:25am PST, Pope Francis entered the main gate along España Boulevard at the University of Santo Tomas
The University of Santo Tomas (UST; ), officially the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines or colloquially as ''Ustê'' (), is a Private university, private Catholic school, Catholic researc ...
. He walked through the Arch of the Centuries and met briefly with representatives of various religions. Among those present were:
* Metropolitan Nektarios Tsilis of the Orthodox Metropolitanate of Hong Kong and Southeast Asia
*Venerable Master Hsing Yun, a Chinese Chan Buddhist
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
monk representing the Fo Guang Shan Monastery in Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
*Rabbi Eliyahu Azaria, head of the Jewish Synagogue in Makati
*Maharaj Rajesh Sharma, a Hindu
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
priest
*Bishop Ephraim Fajutagana, the Obispo Máximo XII of the Philippine Independent Church
The Philippine Independent Church (; ), officially referred to by its Philippine Spanish name (IFI) and colloquially called the Aglipayan Church, is an independent catholic Christian denomination, in the form of a nationalist church, in the ...
and concurrent chair of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines
*Bishop Cesar Vicente Punzalan III, chairman of the board of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches
*Lilian Sison, former UST Graduate School dean member, Religions for Peace
Religion is a range of social- cultural systems, including designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relate humanity to supernatural, tra ...
– Philippines
*Julkipli Wadi, Dean of the UP Institute of Islamic Studies
*Imam Ebra Moxir, President of the Imam Council of the Philippines
*Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno, Chairman of the Philippine Bible Society.
After the meeting, Pope Francis circled the university in the popemobile and then met with about 24,000 youth representatives gathered at Santo Tomas Field. The general public were also present in other parts of the university.
At the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta Park, the pope held his third and concluding Mass in the Philippines. The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA; ) is a government agency of the Philippines responsible for constituting the regional government of Metro Manila, comprising the capital city of Manila, the cities of Quezon City, Caloocan, ...
estimated that six million people attended, exceeding the five million during John Paul's Mass there for World Youth Day
World Youth Day (WYD) is an event for the youth organized by the Catholic Church that was initiated by Pope John Paul II in 1985. Its concept has been influenced by the Light-Life Movement that has existed in Poland since the 1960s, where dur ...
in January 1995; the BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
reported this as the largest papal gathering in history. After the Mass, the crowd sang the 1995 World Youth Day anthem " Tell the World of His Love", followed by the visit's official theme song " We Are All God's Children" led by Jamie Rivera.
Day 5: January 19, Monday
Pope Francis attended a leave-taking ceremony at the Presidential Pavilion in Villamor Air Base, with a sendoff by then-President Benigno Aquino III, his Cabinet secretaries
A cabinet secretary is usually a senior official (typically a civil servant) who provides services and advice to a cabinet of ministers as part of the Cabinet Office. In many countries, the position can have considerably wider functions and powe ...
, and a number of Catholic bishops, before flying back to Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
. The pope departed Manila at 10:12am PST on a chartered Philippine Airlines
Philippine Airlines (PAL) is the flag carrier of the Philippines. Headquartered at the Philippine National Bank, PNB Financial Center in Pasay, the airline was founded in 1941 and is the oldest operating commercial airline in Asia.
Philippine ...
Airbus A340-300 (flight PR8010, registered RP-C3439, callsign Shepherd One).
The delegation of religious officials and politicians who were present at the leave-taking ceremony of the pope at the airbase included:
Economic implications
With the declaration of special non-working holidays in Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila ( ), commonly shortened to Metro Manila and formally the National Capital Region (NCR; ), is the capital region and largest List of metropolitan areas in the Philippines, metropolitan area of the Philippines. Located ...
on January 15, 16 and 19, the economy was expected to experience lost revenue of millions of dollars. The business sector criticized the government for adding too many non-working holidays every year. According to a study by the Makati Business Club conducted in 2014, non-working holidays generally cost the electronics industry ₱
The Philippine peso sign (₱) is the currency symbol used for the Philippine peso, the official currency of the Philippines. The symbol resembles a Latin script, Latin letter P with two horizontal strokes. It differs from the currency symbol u ...
1.2 billion (US$
The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...
26.7 million) per day, citing figures from SEIPI. While the holiday declaration is not nationwide, workers wanting to see the pope will take leaves, adding labor cost strains to businesses.
President and CEO of the Philippine Stock Exchange
The Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc. (; ) is the national stock exchange of the Philippines. The exchange was created in 1992 from the merger of the Manila Stock Exchange and the Makati Stock Exchange. Including previous forms, the exchange has ...
(PSE), Hans Sicat, made calls to the government to halt the addition of holidays as lesser trading days. During the holidays, clearing operations at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas were suspended. However, Sicat said that the central bank agreed to run clearing operations on January 19. Sicat argued that closing during three days of the papal visit would cost the government ₱14 million ($311,457.17) in uncollected trading-based taxes.[ (Note: Reports that Sicat estimated ₱4.5 million ($100,000) taxes are not collected for each day the exchange is closed, for average trading days.)]
Security for the visit, including for physical barriers set up along the route from the air base to downtown Manila, was estimated as costing the government ₱200 million ($4.5 million).[
Stockbroker Wilson Sy, who manages the Philequity Fund, said that while the papal visit had minimal direct monetary benefits, it caused investors to be "reminded" about the country. He noted that the Philippine Stock Exchange Index closed at 7,490.88 on January 14, a record, described by economic analysts as a "papal rally" reflecting the positive outlook of local and foreign investors. A successful and peaceful papal visit increased investor confidence to do business in the country.]
Controversies
Alleged abuse of street children
Philippine police authorities were reported to have rounded up street children, some as young as five years old, around Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila ( ), commonly shortened to Metro Manila and formally the National Capital Region (NCR; ), is the capital region and largest List of metropolitan areas in the Philippines, metropolitan area of the Philippines. Located ...
and sent them to detention centers alongside adults. Detained children were reported to be treated poorly, suffering from physical and sexual abuse, starvation, denied an education and denied basic human dignity. Children who attempted to escape were reportedly chained to pillars if caught. Officials through Pasay social welfare department chief, Rosalinda Orobia, in response to an inquiry by ''Manila Standard
The ''Manila Standard'' is a broadsheet newspaper in the Philippines which, as of 2017, is owned by the Romualdez family. The Romualdezes, through incumbent speaker of the House Martin Romualdez, also own Journal Publications, Inc., the owner ...
'', asserted that they were rounding up street children to protect the pope from street children gangs. Orabia also said that such actions were done to prevent the gangs from taking advantage of the pope. Manila Standard criticized Orobia's statement claiming that the authorities were more concerned with making the city presentable to the pope on his visit.
On January 16, Department of Social Welfare and Development
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD; ) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the protection of the social welfare of rights of Filipinos and to promote social development.
History
In 1915, ...
(DSWD) secretary Dinky Soliman denied the reports and asserted that the government does not tolerate the practices reported. Soliman also said that the photos published by the report were photos taken in the past. Soliman said that "Corrective measures have been undertaken since the time that the reports came out." She pointed at a photo of a child named Federico who was shown to be malnourished. The photo was in fact taken in 2014, nearly 7 months after the child's admission to the Reception and Action Center, and had previously appeared in other international news articles focusing on conditions in the center. "Federico has already gained weight and is being cared for by an NGO with DSWD. We have found his mother and we are currently doing case work management with the mother," Soliman said.
Secretary Soliman ordered that allegations of children rights abuse in children's centers in Parañaque
Parañaque, officially the City of Parañaque (, ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of ...
and Pasay
Pasay, officially the City of Pasay (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 Philippine census, 2020 census, it has a ...
be investigated. Regarding the Manila Reception Action Center, which was a subject of the report by numerous international news outlets throughout late 2014, and again in relation to the pope's visit, Soliman said that the DSWD was facilitating the closure of the facility. She stated that its child residents were being transferred to NGOs licensed by the DSWD and to government facilities.
Temporary relocation of homeless people
Homeless people were temporarily relocated. The government alleged this was to protect them from crime syndicates and not to keep them out of sight.
Aquino's speech in Malacañang
The then-President Benigno Aquino III's speech at the Malacañang Palace during his courtesy call with Pope Francis turned out to be controversial, drawing mixed responses from netizens. Aquino criticized the local Church for its inaction against the "past administration's abuses" which was interpreted as a reference to former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal-Arroyo (; born April 5, 1947), often referred to as PGMA or GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician who served as the 14th president of the Philippines from Presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, 2001 to 2010 ...
. Some netizens praised Aquino's honesty while some called Aquino's speech inappropriate and criticized its timing.
Cardinal Luis Tagle described Aquino's speech as a "commentary of previous administration". He noted that many speeches made by Aquino since his presidency referred to the previous administration of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and how he inherited some issues left by his predecessor. Tagle also stated: "I think quinowas coming from a deeply personal experience and also a deeply political experience. The personal experience that shaped that type of interpretation of facts was his own suffering during martial law and his appreciation for the role of Church during that time." Tagle was quick to add that the focus of the public must be directed at the papal visit since the issue regarding Aquino's speech can be explored after the visit.
Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi described the speech as "rather original because there is not always such a speech during the formal ceremonies of reception of the Pope." Lombardi also added that the speech was also "very interesting" and showed "two different perspectives"; one of "the politician and of the Pope".
"Passing around" of Sacred hosts
An estimated 3 to 6 million communicants attended the final Mass, concelebrated by 2,500 priests and 200-250 bishops, at Rizal Park
Rizal Park (), also known as Luneta Park or simply Luneta, is a historic urban park located in Ermita, Manila. It is considered one of the largest urban parks in the Philippines, covering an area of . The site on where the park is situated was ...
on January 18. Anticipating this, some 5,000 " Communion distributors" and 5,000 "Communion ushers" assisted in the distribution of about 2.5 million Communion hosts, which were consecrated a day prior. During the Mass, rainfall soaked the communicants and made it difficult for the priests and extraordinary ministers to administer Communion, especially to the farthest reaches of the park. A report by GMA News
GMA Integrated News (simply known as GMA News; formerly known as RBS News Department, GMA Radio-Television News and GMA Rainbow Satellite News; and later GMA News and Public Affairs) is the news division of the Philippine media company GMA Networ ...
stated that communicants, including extraordinary ministers, "passed around" the sacred hosts for those at the back of the long queues in what the report described as the practice of . Some observers viewed the act as a sacrilege to the host.
Incidents
* A few hours after the mass officiated by the pope in Tacloban
Tacloban ( ; ), officially the City of Tacloban (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city on Leyte island in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, Tacloban has a popu ...
, a 27-year-old volunteer named Kristel Mae Padasas working for Catholic Relief Services
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Founded in 1943 by the Bishops of the United States, the agency provides assistance to 130 million people in more than 110 ...
died at Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport
Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport , also known as Tacloban City Airport, is an airport serving the general area of Tacloban, a highly urbanized city in the Leyte island of the Philippines. It is the main gateway from Manila and Cebu to Eastern Visayas ...
after scaffoldings near the altar fell on her.
* On January 17, 2015, a Bombardier Global Express plane carrying several Cabinet secretaries
A cabinet secretary is usually a senior official (typically a civil servant) who provides services and advice to a cabinet of ministers as part of the Cabinet Office. In many countries, the position can have considerably wider functions and powe ...
of President Benigno Aquino III skidded off the runway of Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport in Tacloban. All the 12 passengers and 3 crew members were safe. The plane bears the aircraft registration
An aircraft registration is a code unique to a single aircraft, required by international convention to be marked on the exterior of every civil aircraft. The registration indicates the aircraft's country of registration, and functions much li ...
RP-C9363 and was operated by Challenger Aero Corporation Metro Manila.
* Ten people suffered minor injuries after an early Sunday morning scuffle broke out at an entrance to the Quirino Grandstand, after a group of attendees to the pope's final mass became impatient and tried to gain entry to the venue.
References
External links
Papal Visit to the Philippines 2015 – Official Website
Message of President Aquino during the general audience with Pope Francis in Malacañan Palace – Full Transcript , Official Gazette
Full Text of Pope Francis's Homily during his Mass at the Manila Cathedral. Veritas846.ph
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