Mammoth crowd tops 1995 visit

MANILA, Philippines - Pope Francis wrapped up his last full day in the country yesterday in Rizal Park where an estimated six million rain-soaked Filipinos gathered for what a Vatican official said was the largest ever papal mass in the Philippines.

A steady rain from the same storm that forced Francis to cut short his visit to Tacloban on Saturday fell on the crowd, but it didn’t seem to dampen spirits of Filipinos who streamed into Rizal Park for the pope’s concluding Mass.

Organizers had expected that as many as 6 million people might turn out, surpassing the 5 million record set by St. John Paul II in the same park in 1995. With two hours to go before the start of Mass, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Francis Tolentino reported that 3 million had packed the park and surrounding streets.

But with a steady rain falling, people were seen turning around along one of the main boulevards leading to the park and heading away.

But most stayed on, braving the cold drizzle awaiting the arrival of Pope Francis, hoping just to catch a glimpse and blessed by the most popular pope in history.

Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi said based on the figure provided by local authorities, half of the crowd was inside Quirino Grandstand while the others were on the streets.

He said the number of people who attended the mass yesterday was “impressive” and a “wonderful celebration.

“Yes,” Lombardi said when asked if the mass in Rizal Park was the biggest ever.

President Aquino, Vice President Jejomar Binay along with other senior government officials that included Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima were at the grandstand to attend Mass.

According to Lombardi, between 6 and 7 million people attended the Mass – the crowd estimate given by Philippine authorities to the Vatican protocol.

The attendance at yesterday’s Mass, Lombardi said, was larger than the 2 million in the World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro 2013.

“In any case we have seen so many people and believe it is possible. If this is true it is good. This is the largest event of the history of the pope visit,” Lombardi said. -Edu Punay, Aie Balagtas See, Michael Punongbayan, Delon Porcalla, AP