Pope Francis loses his skull cap as he disembarks from his plane shortly upon arrival from Sri Lanka, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015, south of Manila, Philippines. Pope Francis arrived Thursday for a five-day apostolic visit in this predominantly Catholic nation in Asia. AP
MANILA, Philippines—Bienvenido Papa Francisco! Pope Francis has landed in the Philippines.
Amid the shouts and cheers of his faithful, Pope Francis started his five-day visit to the Philippines with a wide smile on his face, and his skull cap going into the distance.
Upon going through the doorway of The Sri Lankan Airlines plane and breathing in the Philippine air, a gust of wind blew his skull cap off, and a white bird flew over the media bleachers a good hundred meters from the Holy Father.
First to greet Pope Francis were Mark Angelo Bartolas, 10-years-old, and Lanie Ortillo, nine, both abandoned kids and under the foster care of Tuloy Sa Don Bosco. They gave the flowers to the head of the Catholic Church upon his arrival at the Villamor Airbase Thursday evening.
“Masayang masaya ako kasi makikita ko po si Pope Francis,” (I’m so happy that I have the opportunity to see Pope Francis up close) Bartolas said before his scheduled meeting with the Pontiff.
About 1,200 students from La Salle Zobel, San Beda Alabang, Woodrose, Southridge, Saint Andrew’s and Sacred Heart performed Sayaw ng Pagbati, a ritual from Parañaque where children dance during Easter Sunday, to greet Pope Francis from the sides.
President Benigno Aquino III escorted Pope Francis towards Kalayaan Lounge where he was immediately led to the popemobile for his motorcade that would bring him to the Apostolic Nunciature where he would stay during his five-day visit.
Pope Francis, however, did not give an arrival statement unlike his visit in Sri Lanka.
Together with Aquino were his Cabinet secretaries and Vice President Jejomar Binay.
A dozen bishops also greeted Pope Francis as he was walking towards Kalayaan Lounge, one of which was Manila Archbishop Jose Antonio Cardinal Tagle who got a jubilant greeting from the successor of St. Peter the apostle.
As a state visit, Pope Francis and Aquino led the Philippines and the Vatican delegates in singing the national anthems of the Philippines and the Vatican City.
Pope Francis’ visit is not only a state visit, but more importantly a pastoral visit as he is the head of the Catholic Church.
His Holiness would have a meeting with the families on Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena, a visit to Tacloban, a traditional stop at the University of Santo Tomas.
The highlight of Pope Francis’ visit is the massive Eucharistic Celebration at the Quirino Grandstand on Sunday which is expected to draw a crowd of six million people.
Down along the red carpet, Pope Francis walked under the swords of the ceremonial colors then greeted the bishops and Cabinet secretaries.
From the plane door to the door of Kalayaan Lounge, Pope Francis ended it as he started it, with a wide smile on his face.
Teary eyed
Most of the people the Inquirer interviewed were teary eyed whenever they were asked of their reason for seeing the Pope.
Emma Ybanez, 55, a resident of Bacoor, Cavite, could not hold back her tears.
“I am filled with this inexplicable joy and gratitude. (Hindi maipaliwanag na kagalakan)” she said with her daughter and two grandchildren in tow.
“I am standing here in good health and still able to see him. It is more than enough,” said Ybanez who also saw Pope John Paul II in 1981 when he visited Davao.
She was 21 when she witnessed Pope John Paul II’s first visit to the Philippines. Thirty-four years later, Ybanez was back to welcome another Pope, now called the “people’s pope” and she said the feeling she had when she saw John Paul II was the same joy she felt when she welcomed Francis.
Pope John Paul II, now a saint, last visited the Philippines in 1995 when he led the World Youth Day conference. The pope fever that swept the Philippines in 1995 is expected to prevail over the country again. It’s not surprising because the Philippines is home to half of Asia’s Catholics. Over 80 percent of the Philippine population are members of the Catholic Church.
Ybanez’s wish is no longer for her own. “I pray that calamities, earthquakes and typhoons will spare the Philippines.” With a report from Nina P. Calleja, Philippine Daily Inquirer
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