Friday 16 January 2015

Bienvenido Papa Francisco!

Pope Francis to the Philippines. Mabuhay Po Kayo!

On January 15-19, 2015 Holy Father, Pope Francis 1, Vicar of Christ made a pastoral visit to our beloved country. This event inspired and nourished more our Catholic faith. He blessed our beloved land and all the people in this country. He also celebrated a holy mass for the family and survivors of “Yolanda” at Tacloban, for the priest at Manila Cathedral, for the youth at the University of Santo Tomas and for everyone at the Quirino Grandstand, Luneta. He inspired all the survivors of Typhoon “Yolanda” and blessed the mass tomb of their beloved departed victims of “Yolanda”. He also finds one afternoon, on his second day fruitful time, hours to see families in the “Encounter with the Families” at Mall of Asia Arena and hear all his teachings about the value of families and how to be one family of Christ.

On January 15, 2015, I and My family are all excited to welcome our Holy Father on his way to Papal Nunciature. We went to Roxas Boulevard with so many people gathered to witness the event. We arrived in the nearby place around 1 pm. We went there early so we will not get affected by the traffic and closure of Roxas Boulevard. We were too early, so we decided to look around and eat a few snacks at Bluebay Walk. After eating and strolling around the place, we went back to our car and relaxed for a few minutes while listening to the blow by blow radio updates, because we were so interested to hear some updates about Pope Francis’ arrival.

While we were waiting for his arrival, my son got bored because he thought he was just an ordinary Priest, but then he said "Mom I was wrong. When I saw him I felt like something changed in me and it feels so good to see him smile and wave his hands to us present in that moment. I wanted to follow him to Papal Nunciature." but of course his Dad did not approve it due to heavy traffic and crowded place. The Pope Mobile was moving very fast so it took only seconds for us to see him, but that is the longest seconds I would remember in my heart all my life to share with the future generation. I became aware, something like so different inside my joyful heart because I was a part of this special event and in my heart I am so thankful to God how much he blesses Me and My family to see the Holy Father in flesh and so near to us, not in Rome but here in our beloved land.

I will always be grateful to my parents for being so cool to show me the importance of how we showed our warm welcome to everyone in every day and now for the Most Holy Father Pope Francis 1.

Viva 'Il Papa!

Short trivia about Pope Francis via Wikipedia:
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936 is the reigning pope of the Catholic Church, in which capacity he is both Bishop of Rome and absolute sovereign of theVatican City State

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Bergoglio worked briefly as a chemical technician and nightclub bouncer before beginning seminary studies. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1969 and from 1973 to 1979 was Argentina's Provincial Superior of the Society of Jesus. He became the Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was created a cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II.

Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on 28 February 2013, a papal conclave elected Bergoglio as his successor on 13 March. He chose Francis as his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. Francis is the firstJesuit pope, the first from the Americas, the first from the Southern Hemisphere and the first non-European pope since the Syrian Gregory III in 741, 1,272 years earlier.

6:29 PM Roxas Blvd. Manila 

6:31 PM Roxas Blvd. Manila 

Birds on top of coconut tree

Viva 'il Papa!
 Papa Francisco! Arrival to the Philippines
Video by Tony Albar for Princess Sol Diaries


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