TROPICAL Storm Amang failed to dampen the spirit of the millions Filipinos who attended the concluding mass celebrated by Pope Francis at the Quirino Grandstand on Sunday.
Filipino families, friends, people with disability and even children endured the rain and cold wind wearing their colorful raincoats.
Grandstand. Ey Acasio
Thousands upon thousands came even as Storm Signal No. 1 remained hoisted in Metro Manila even though Amang weakened slightly after making landfall in Camarines Sur.
The center of the storm was estimated 115 kilometers east of Daet, and it was packing sustained winds of 75 km per hour and forecast to move northwest at 15 kph.
The number of families who were evacuated as the storm neared climbed to 2,067.
The Filipinos were already walking from Taft Avenue at 2 am while some families had camped out and spread their sleeping mattress at and near the Quirino Grandstand, the Manila Hotel and T.M. Kalaw to have a glimpse of the pontiff.
There was joy as the faithful heard mass and said farewell to Francis who is leaving today after a five-day visit.
Before he went to the Quirino Grandstand, the pontiff again chose to mingle with the people, bless them and even reached out to hug them while riding his jeepney-inspired popemobile.
The pope was then welcomed in a the fiesta-like atmosphere inspired by the Sinulog Festival of Cebu for the Santo Niño.
The Cebu-based San Diego Dance Company led in performing the traditional Sinulog dance as a “welcome gesture” for Pope Francis.
The people backed the welcome gesture for Pope Francis by dancing with the San Diego Dance Company while raising their Santo Niño images.
A “Francis wave” was also initiated, where the people from the bleachers to the grounds waved tirelessly.
During his homily, Pope Francis told the Filipino people to “protect one another, by starting with their very own families”.
“Now, at the end of my visit to the Philippines, I commend you to Him, to Jesus who came among us as a child,” Francis said.
“May he enable all the beloved people of this country to work together, protecting one another, beginning with your families and communities, in building a world of justice, integrity and peace.”
Aside from the family, the pontiff also appealed to the faithful to always care for the children and the youth and ensure that they will not go astray.
“Specifically, we need to see each child as a gift to be welcomed, cherished and protected. And we need to care for our young people, not allowing them to be robbed of hope and condemned to life on the streets,” Francis said.
He said the people must take a cue from the Santo Niño in constantly reminding one another of the importance of protecting the family, especially the children.
“When he came into the world, his very life was threatened by a corrupt king. Jesus himself needed to be protected. He had an earthly protector: Saint Joseph,” Francis said.
“He had an earthly family, the Holy Family of Nazareth. So he reminds us of the importance of protecting our families and those larger families which are the Church, God’s family and the world, our human family.”
Francis said he was hopeful that the Filipinos would be successful in their mission so they could continue to become instruments for propagating the Catholic Church.
“[The Philippines] is the foremost Catholic country in Asia. This is itself a special gift of God, a blessing. But it is also a vocation. Filipinos are called to be outstanding missionaries of the faith in Asia,” the pope said.
“May the Santo Niño continue to bless the Philippines and to sustain the Christians of this great nation in their vocation to be witnesses and missionaries of the joy of the Gospel, in Asia and in the whole world.”
The Pope also asked the Filipino faithful to continue praying for him even after he has left the country and gone back to the Vatican.
“Please don’t forget to pray for me! God bless you all!” Pope Francis said.
The multi-lingual mass was concelebrated by Manila Archbishop Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Manila Archbishop emeritus Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, and Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines President Archbishop Socrates Villegas.
The mass was said in English and Filipino, while there were also texts that were spoken in Latin and Spanish.
The Prayers of the Faithful featured local dialects, specifically Tagalog, Ilonggo, Kampampangan, Ilokano, Cebuano, Waray, and Bikolano.
The music and hymns for the mass were likewise inspired by varied cultures as it featured both Western music and Filipino indigenous rhythms, such as Kalinga, Singkil and Kundiman.
Near the end of the mass, the faithful lit up their candles followed by the singing of the “Tell the World of His Love”. With Rio N. Araja and Florante S. Solmerin