Ecstatic crowd greets Pope Francis at MOA Arena

MANILA, Philippines – A boisterous crowd welcomed Pope Francis upon his arrival at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Thousands gathered around the huge mall’s vicinity — most just hoping to catch a glimpse of the Holy Father on the big screen outside the venue or the least say they were in the same area as him.

“Okay lang kung hindi namin siya makikita in the flesh. We’re satisfied with the fact that we’re near him,” said a woman, who requested not to be named. She brought her daughter with her and added that she they had been waiting for several hours.

The Pope arrived here for the “Meeting with Families” after a hectic schedule which began with a courtesy call with President Benigno Aquino III at Malacañang before holding a concelebration Mass at the Manila Cathedral in the second of his five-day visit.

The rain poured along Quirino Avenue, where a sizeable number of people waited for the Pope to pass through on his way back to the Nunciature on Taft Avenue.

After “Meeting with Families,” His Holiness will go back to the official papal residence along Taft before flying to Leyte to meet with the survivors of Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) on Saturday and fulfill the primary purpose of his Manila trip.

The Pope will then hold a public Mass at the historic Luneta Park on Sunday and will depart back to Rome on Monday morning.