A spiritual typhoon: Pope in Phl in January

MANILA, Philippines - A “spiritual typhoon” is heading for the Philippines with the confirmation of Pope Francis’ visit on Jan. 15 to 19 next year, Papal Nuncio Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto said yesterday.

Pinto, together with Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, confirmed the papal visit in a press conference yesterday at the Archdiocese of Manila in Intramuros.

The announcement was simultaneously made in Manila and the Vatican at 6 p.m. and noon, respectively.

“Accepting the invitation of the civil authority and the bishops, his holiness Pope Francis will make an apostolic visit to Sri Lanka from Jan. 12 to 15 and to the Philippines from Jan. 15 to 19, 2015. The program of the visit will be made by the Holy See in the year,” Tagle said in a statement.

The central theme of the Papal visit is “mercy and compassion.”

Also present at the press conference were Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. and Pasig Bishop
Mylo Vergara, chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-Episcopal Commission on Social Communication and Mass Media.

Coloma said Pope Francis’ visit would coincide with the 20th anniversary of the World Youth Day (WYD) in 1995 presided over by then pope and now Saint John Paul II. John Paul II also visited the Philippines in 1981. Pope Paul VI was in the Philippines in 1970.

President Aquino has assigned Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. as the lead point person for Francis’ visit.

“Filipinos will most certainly accord to Pope Francis the warmth of their hospitality and manifest the fervor of their faith as they welcome the first pontiff from South America,” Coloma said.

“President Aquino is calling on all concerned government offices and the citizenry to work closely with the papal visit committee in ensuing the success of Pope Francis’ apostolic visit,” he said.

It was earlier reported that Pope Francis wanted to visit the areas ravaged by Super Typhoon Yolanda. Last month, representatives from the Vatican visited parts of Eastern Visayas in preparation for his visit.