Pope Francis in Malacañang for first public speech

MANILA, Philippines—Pope Francis arrived in Malacañang on Friday morning to meet with President Benigno Aquino III and to give his first public address in the country.

Some 15 hours after he was welcomed to the Philippines by thousands of well-wishers as he traveled from the airport to the Apostolic Nunciature on Taft Avenue, Manila, the charismatic Pontiff alighted from a closed vehicle inside the Palace compound at 9:21 a.m., a few minutes behind schedule. Television cameras caught him opening his own door, before protocol officers could reach his side of the Volkswagen he was riding.

Pope Francis looked tired but his face lit up as he saw the crowd consisting of Palace employees and relatives of government officials.

A smiling Aquino—himself a Catholic—greeted the head of state of the Vatican and leader of the world’s 1.2-billion Catholics. It was their second meeting in the Philippines after the arrival ceremony at the Villamor Airbase Thursday night.

First speech in PH

The Philippines, considered as the Catholic faith’s bastion in Asia, had been anticipating Pope Francis’ visit for months. Barely two years into his papacy, he has become an important global icon, even among non-Catholics.

Many were hoping to hear his message for Filipinos upon his arrival from Sri Lanka, but he was instead shuttled to the Apostolic Nunciature, which serves as his official residence during his five-day pastoral and state visit in the country.

Vatican spokesperson Father Federico Lombardi said it was the organizers’ decision to hold Pope Francis’ first public address in Malacañang instead of at the airport.

Nevertheless, the pontiff – who is visiting the country to meet survivors of calamities and the poor – matched the public’s warm welcome by riding an open vehicle called the popemobile to the nunciature. Although relatively brisk in pace, the 30-minute ride left the crowd satisfied.

Pope Francis is the third pontiff to visit the Philippines, after Pope Paul VI, who visited in 1970, and Pope John Paul II, who visited in 1981 and 1995.

Personal meeting

While Pope Francis is the sovereign leader of Vatican City, the smallest independent state in the world, Lombardi said his courtesy call is unlikely to touch on political issues.

“The meeting with the President will be a personal meeting,” Lombardi said in a briefing, pointing out that Pope Francis prefers personal encounters.

Pressed for details, Malacañang spokespersons have said that they do not know what will transpire in the closed-door meeting between the Pope and the President. Aquino himself said that he might leave it to the pontiff to decide which issues to tackle.

After the welcome ceremony, which will feature both the Philippine national anthem and the Pontifical anthem, the two heads of state will be introduced to other officials present. (See list of officials below)

Pope Francis will be asked to sign the official guestbook of Malacañang and will have a supposedly hour-long tete-a-tete with Aquino. The first family, mostly Aquino’s sisters, will then be introduced to Pope.

At 10:45 am., the pontiff will be presented to the members of the diplomatic corps and Filipino lawmakers.

After that would come the much anticipated remarks from Aquino and Pope Francis, which will both be delivered in English.

The pontiff will then leave Malacañang compound onboard another popemobile for his mass at the Manila Cathedral.

Among the Philippine officials listed to greet Pope Francis in Malacañang are Vice President Jejomar Binay, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, Philippine ambassador to the Holy See Mercedes Tuason, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, Education Secretary Armin Luistro, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman, Agrarian Reform Secretary Virgilio delos Reyes, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez, Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo, Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla, National Economic and Development Authority head Arsenio Balisacan, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., Presidential Management Staff head Julia Andrea Abad and Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras.

Meanwhile, the members of the papal delegation to be introduced by Vatican Chief Organizer Dr. Alberto Gasbarri are Secretary of State Pietro Cardinal Parolin, Prefect of the Congregation of Evangelization of Peoples Fernando Cardinal Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacrament Robert Cardinal Saral, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, Substitute of the Secretariat of State Archbishop Giovanni Angelo Becciu, Lingayen-Dagupan Arcbishop Socrates Villegas, Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto, Official Secretariat of State Rev. Monsignor Mark Gerard Miles, Counsellor of the Apostolic Nunciature Rev. Monsignor Chibuike Onyeaghala, Consellor of the Apostolic Nunciature Rev. Monsignor Seamus Patrick Horgan, Director of the Holy See Press Office Rev. Fr. Lombardi SJ, Director of the Vatican Television Center Rev. Monsignor Dario Edoardo Vigano, L”Osservatore Romano editor-in-chief Giovanni Maria Vian and the pope’s personal doctor Prof. Patrizio Polisca.

Updated at 9:53 am, to reflect a more accurate estimate of his arrival in the Palace.

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TAGS: Catholicism, Catholics, Malacañang, Philippines, Pope Francis, Vatican