In this photo provided by the Vatican paper L’Osservatore Romano, Pope Francis receives a gift from former Argentine soccer player Javier Zanetti, in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican, Monday, Sept. 1, 2014 ahead of an inter-religious match for peace. AP
MANILA, Philippines – They will not fail the Holy Father.
This was the assurance given by the top brass of the Armed Forces of the Philippines as it prepares for the visit of Pope Francis here in 2015.
“We will not fail the Pope,” Catapang said Tuesday amid reports that Muslim Filipino youths were training with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
A highlight of Pope Francis’ visit from January 15-19 is his trip to “Yolanda”-stricken Leyte.
“We are preparing an elaborate plan for the Pope,” Catapang said. “We are elated with the visit and we are awaiting the Pope.”
He did not, however, tell the exact plans for the Pope’s security.
“Our compassionate shepherd comes to show his deep concern for our people who have gone through devastating calamities, especially in the Visayas,” Filipino Bishops wrote in their Pastoral letter issued on July 4 in anticipation of the visit.
“He comes to confirm us in our faith as we face the challenges of witnessing to the Joy of the Gospel in the midst of our trials.”
His Holiness is also set to visit the University of Santo Tomas, declared as a Pontifical University in 1902 through the constitution of Pope Leo XIII , a traditional stop for visiting popes.
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