Pope Francis, wearing the same yellow raincoat as the people in the crowd, waves to devotees who gathered for his Mass at a templete near the Tacloban City airport amid strong rain and winds of Typhoon Amang. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)
I am an avid reader of this paper and I would like to share some of my thoughts about the overwhelming welcome given to Pope Francis. Not only Filipinos but the whole world rejoiced over his visit to the Philippines.
I am 65 year old, a retired public school teacher and a Catholic devotee in Cebu. Upon my retirement, I devoted my time serving the Church. This time, I went to Leyte to see the Pope rather than attend the Sinulog festivities in Cebu. I always attend the Feast of Señor Santo Niño every year but the visit of the Pope was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Not all countries are given this gift to be visited by the highest man in the Catholic Church who is respected and loved by all. I endured the bad weather brought about typhoon Amang with heavy rains and strong winds just to attend the Mass at the Tacloban City airport. Because of the bad weather, at my old age, I failed to endure the cold. I was chilling and suddenly fainted. Thank you so much to the Army soldiers who rescued me and brought me to the nearest medic team.
With this, my deepest salute to our soldiers because aside from the fact that they successfully secured the Pope, they found time to assist oldies like me. Soldiers together with the PNP and other law enforcement agencies guarded every quadrant in order to avoid disarray and chaotic scenarios and to easily monitor incidents especially those needing immediate medical attention. Controlling a crowd of thousands of people who witnessed the Pope visit in Leyte was a very tough responsibility for the soldiers and other law enforcement agencies. But they did it well prior, during and even after the Pope left Leyte.
The visit would not have been possible without the full support of everyone. I greatly appreciated the security preparations by the law enforcement agencies. The full cooperation and discipline showed by the people indicated that the Pope is loved by all.
Now that the Pope has visited us, it truly suggests that His visit makes us one and united. We showed love, mercy and compassion to each other. Indeed, I am very thankful for the opportunity to have seen Pope Francis during his visit to Tacloban City and Palo, Leyte las Jan. 17, 2015. Thank you, Pope Francis and thank you all for making the Pope’s visit possible.
Ma. Elena Puebla
A Cebu Catholic Devotee