By Rosemarie Zamora
In a country where most people are pinning their hopes on God, it is seen as a blessing to meet a man who is more like God. The Philippines was blessed enough to have experienced such 10 years ago when Pope Francis made a historic apostolic visit to the country, where he spent a fruitful five-day trip meeting the Filipino people.
Pope’s arrival in the Philippines
Pope Francis’ visit to the Philippines on 15 January 2015 was the last leg of his two-Asian-nation trip following Sri Lanka.
He was welcomed by then-president Benigno Aquino III, 12 government officials and 12 clergymen.
Exuberant crowds also welcomed the Pope at Manila’s Villamor Air Base.
As he stepped off the plane, Pope Francis was all smiles while waving at the crowd who were waiting for him.
He was also welcomed by 1,200 Filipino youths from Catholic schools and parishes to perform a 15-minute series of dances.
Tacloban visit
More than a year after the devastating Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) that battered Tacloban City in Leyte, residents saw a glimmer of hope as Pope Francis flew all the way to the province from Manila to meet and express his love to thousands of Filipinos there.
Despite the strong winds and pouring rains, Pope Francis held an outdoor mass for about 150,000 worshippers before going back to Manila.
The people who went to see him didn’t care about getting drenched in the rain.
In his homily, Pope Francis told Filipinos that when he saw the news about the devastating effects of the typhoon in Tacloban, “I felt I had to be here.”
“A little bit late, I have to say, but I’m here,” he added.
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Holy Mass at Rizal Park
A day after Pope Francis’ visit to Tacloban, he held another holy mass and a motorcade at Rizal Park, with a crowd estimated at a record six million people, surpassing the five million who turned out for St. John Paul II’s final Mass in the same park in 1995.
Braving through the inclement weather at the time, worshippers, clad in plastic raincoats, waited for hours just to get a glimpse of the Pope.
Some also camped outside the park overnight to ensure they’d be the first ones admitted when the gates opened.
Pope Francis arrived in a “popemobile” based on the design of the local jeepneys in the Philippines, the main transport vehicle in the country.
The Pope made stops to greet and wave at worshippers.
In his final homily, Pope Francis appealed for Filipinos to protect their children from sin and vice so they can become missionaries of the faith.
“Filipinos are called to be outstanding missionaries of the faith in Asia,” he said.
Pope Francis’ visit to the Philippines 10 years ago was his first and last visit to the country, but Filipinos will never forget the immeasurable joy and blessing brought upon by his presence.
His visit indeed brought a ray of hope for every Filipino.
As Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan said at that time, “we knew that in him, Jesus was in our midst.”
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