Priest fears typhoon ‘Ruby’ will set back preparations for Pope’s visit

Pope Francis. AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The effects of Typhoon “Ruby” (international name: Hagupit) might affect the preparations for visit of Pope Francis in January in Palo, Leyte province, according to a Church official in the province.

“We’re praying that the typhoon will no longer come. I would say it would affect the preparations [for the papal visit], to what extent I still do not know. We’re barely recovering from the effects of Typhoon Yolanda,” said Fr. Alcris Badana, rehabilitation coordinator of the Archdiocese of Palo.

According to Badana, residents in the area have started preparing for Ruby by storing emergency provisions.

The Catholic Church through its social action arm, National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice and Peace/Caritas Philippines, has started predisaster preparedness measures.

NASSA/Caritas Philippines has initially released P2 million from the local church’s emergency funds “Alay Kapwa” and other local and non-Caritas Internationalis funds for the purchase of relief goods, which are now prepositioned in areas threatened by Ruby.

The Alay Kapwa is the Lenten evangelization and fund-raising program of the Church to raise consciousness and funds for calamities and major social concerns.

50.6M to be affected

According to the United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-Ocha), the number of affected families is estimated at 5.36 million or a total of 50.67 million people.

“Considering the vast area to be affected, local funds may not suffice. We are therefore expecting bigger needs in the coming days as the typhoon has not yet madelandfall,” Nassa/Caritas Philippines Humanitarian Unit Head Josephine Ignacio said.

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle yesterday urged the faithful of the archdiocese to recite in churches the “Oratio Imperata” (Mandatory Prayer) for deliverance from calamities as Typhoon Ruby neared Eastern Visayas.

In a statement, Tagle encouraged the faithful not to give in to panic and include prayer in preparing for the typhoon.

He directed the faithful to pray the Oratio in churches beginning Thursday until it is lifted.

“We should not give in to panic. Instead let us focus on being prepared and on being of help. Let us heed all typhoon warnings and all advisories from the government agencies that monitor this type of situations,” Tagle said.

“Let our preparations include prayer. Let us humble ourselves and seek the mercy and compassion of God at this time of impending peril and destruction,” he added.

“Along with our prayer for mercy and deliverance to God our Father, let us fill our hearts with compassion for those who are hungry, homeless, isolated by floods, threatened by strong winds and landslides. Let us pray that they may find food, shelter, and safety. Tagle said.