Aquino says his faith strengthened after meeting Pope Francis

Pope Francis, left, waves to the crowd beside Philippine President Benigno Aquino III. AP FILE PHOTO

Recalling Pope Francis’ visit to the Philippines in January, President Benigno Aquino III told the media on Tuesday that he now carries a “renewed” faith.

Asked about his encounter with Pope Francis, Aquino said, “I think you will agree with me that there is so much simplicity in the Pope. The carrying of that small bag by himself at his age…”

Aquino, who pointed out that he was trained by Jesuit priests as a student at Ateneo, said the world was now seeing a Church “being more active on a lot of the world matters… a Church that engages everybody in tackling the problems of the day.”

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“Even my own faith has been strengthened and renewed…there is a church that is not just talking but walking the talk,” he said.

Pope Francis has been proven to be a popular international personality because of his image of being down-to-earth and approachable. He has also been discussing social problems such as poverty and climate change.

READ: Pope Francis uses popularity to chart new direction

He went to the Philippines earlier this year and held a mass in Manila and in Leyte, which was badly hit by Typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan) in 2013. IDL