Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

top

World

Pope braves storm for emotional Philippine typhoon memorial

Pope Francis (C) holds a holy mass in Tacloban, on January 17, 2015/AFP

Pope Francis (C) holds a holy mass in Tacloban, on January 17, 2015/AFP

TACLOBAN, Jan 17 – Pope Francis braved heavy rain Saturday to celebrate an emotional mass with a sea of weeping survivors of a super typhoon in the Philippines that killed thousands, saying their pain silenced his heart.

Francis flew in from the national capital of Manila to Tacloban, one of the cities devastated 14 months ago, to be greeted by hundreds of thousands of people but also another severe tropical storm.

“Long live the pope,” the crowd chanted as he walked off the plane to be immediately buffeted by strong winds and intense rain, which later in the day forced him to cut short his trip to other typhoon-hit areas.

His welcome echoed the rapturous reception that millions gave the pontiff during the first two days of his trip to the Philippines, reinforcing its status as the Catholic Church’s bastion in Asia.

Most of the people in the crowd at Tacloban wore thin yellow plastic ponchos handed out by organisers, and the pope also put one on before walking on to a nearby stage to celebrate mass in heavy rain.

“I would like to tell you something close to my heart,” the pope said as many in the crowd clutched crucifixes and cried.

“When I saw in Rome that catastrophe, I felt I had to be here. And on those very days, I decided to come here. I’m here to be with you.”

Super Typhoon Haiyan, the most powerful storm ever recorded on land, left 7,350 people dead or missing in November 2013 as it devastated fishing and farming towns on central islands that were already among the Philippines’ poorest.

Many of those communities are still struggling to recover, with the rubble of destroyed buildings lying in piles and millions of felled coconut trees strewn across idle farmland.

The 78 year old pontiff acknowledged the enduring pain being experienced by the survivors.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

“Some of you have lost part of your families. All I can do is keep silent. And I walk with you all with my silent heart,” he said.

The pope sought to reassure his audience, declaring Jesus would never let them down.

Francis’s five day visit to the Philippines is partly aimed at helping the Church expand its influence in Asia, but he had repeatedly said giving comfort to typhoon survivors was his top priority.

“I can’t explain how I feel. I am filled with gratitude. Never in my life did I think that I’d see a pope,” 68-year-old housewife Virginia Torres told AFP, wiping tears and raindrops from her face after the pontiff left the mass venue.

Torres, whose house two hours’ drive from Tacloban was wiped out by storm surges, said the pope’s address had given her “renewed hope” even while filling her with pain.

“I was overwhelmed with emotion, especially when he mentioned that he can relate to our suffering everything that we went through came back.”

The pope was due to spend the entire day in Tacloban and nearby areas that had also been destroyed by Haiyan.

About The Author

Pages: 1 2

Comments
Advertisement

More on Capital News