Pope Francis’ with youth, Luneta mass, network shutdown | The wRap

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Pope Francis’ with youth, Luneta mass, network shutdown | The wRap
Pope Francis tells people: don’t be afraid to cry. What sets apart the Catholic Filipino according to the Pope? And, cellular networks shut down to secure him

Today on Rappler:

  • Pope Francis tells Filipino youth: don’t be afraid to cry.
  • In his last Mass, the Pope says the Baby Jesus or Santo Nino is at the core of the Filipino Catholic’s identity. 
  • And digital activity in the texting capital of the world slows to a halt as networks shut down for security reasons.

 

POPE FRANCIS: DON’T BE AFRAID TO CRY
For the second day in a row, Pope Francis joins Filipinos under the rain.
The first theme is the future – the Filipino youth, whom he met with at the University of Santo Tomas, Asia’s oldest Catholic university.
A boy and a girl from a home for abused and abandoned children tell  their stories to the Pope.
The boy, Jun Chura, talks about substance abuse, while 12 year old Glyzelle Palomar breaks down in tears… asking why God allows drugs and prostitution to happen.

GLYZELLE PALOMAR, FORMER STREET CHILD: Marami pong mga bata ang pinabayaan ng kanilang mga magulang. Marami sa kanila ang naging biktima at masama ang nangyari sa kanila tulad ng droga at prostitusyon. Bakit pinapayagan ng Diyos ito na mangyari? 

(There are many children abandoned by their parents. Most of them are victims and have fallen prey to drugs and prostitution. Why does God allow this to happen?)

Pope Francis takes the children in his arms.
In his response, the Pope speaks about suffering.
He responded extemporaneously, setting aside his prepared message because, in his words, “reality is better than ideas.”

POPE FRANCIS: Why do children suffer? When the heart is able to ask itself and cry then it can understand suffering. There is a worldly compassion which is useless. It’s compassion that makes us put our hands into the pocket and give something to someone.
Dear girls, boys, young people, today’s world has a big capacity of knowing not to cry.
Certain realities in life we only see through eyes that are cleansed with tears.
I ask each and everyone of you to ask yourselves, have I learned how to weep, how to cry?

Francis then looks out and says there are too few women in the crowd.

POPE FRANCIS: There’s only a very small representation of females among you… too little. Women are able to pose questions that men are not able to understand. When the next Pope visits, more girls please.

PAPAL ALTAR A ‘LABOR OF LOVE’
An estimated 6 million people, including the crowd along the route, turn up in one of the world’s largest papal gatherings.
Riding the jeepney-inspired Popemobile for the first time, Francis makes his way to the Quirino Grandstand to celebrate Holy Mass with the full pomp and pageantry of the Catholic Church.
Architect priest Fr. Alex Bautista designed the altar.
He calls it a labor of love.

FR. ALEX BAUTISTA, ARCHDIOCESE OF TARLAC: If we couldn’t bring him to go around the country, at least elements of the Philippines will be present here in the Mass of the Holy Father. The decoration of the canopy is made from bamboo – typical of Bulacan.  The altar table is made from wood, but the table top they have the marble from Romblon. The pope’s table will have anahaw as its motif. Anahaw is the Philippine national leaf, and it is a strong leaf. It has jagged edges, representing the strength of the Filipino people. The detail that we put is the prayer we offer to the Lord. Our work becomes our prayer these past days in organizing all of this.

VILLEGAS: POPE FRANCIS ‘RAINCOAT IN THE RAIN’
Many among the millions who attended the Luneta Mass brought images of the Santo Nino.
Pope Francis weaves his homily around the uniquely Filipino icon of the Baby Jesus.

POPE FRANCIS: It is a special joy for me to celebrate Santo Niño Sunday with you. That is what the Santo Niño tells us.  
He reminds us of our deepest identity. We saw a beautiful expression of this when Filipinos rallied around our brothers and sisters affected by the typhoon.

He calls on Filipinos to protect the young – the “frail child” – to building a world of justice, integrity and peace.
Carmela Fonbuena has more on the Pope’s last Mass.

CARMELA FONBUENA, REPORTING: Pope Francis meets government officials in Malacanang, priests at the Manila Cathedral, and typhoon victims in Leyte. Here in Luneta he meets the general Filipino Catholics, sees the Filipino culture and how it shows their faith. It’s a fiesta that cannot be dampened even by a typhoon. The mass is solemn. Pope Francis repeats his message against corruption and highlights the need to protect the Filipino family. A condemnation of a new government policy that funds contraceptives for the poor. The mass is a culmination of his visit to the Philippines where he called on filipinos to become outstanding missionaries and ask them to pray for him.

Carmela Fonbuena, Rappler, Manila.

At the end of the event, the mass turns into a rally… complete with repeated cheers for the Pope.

ARCHBISHOP SOCRATES VILLEGAS, LINGAYEN-DAGUPAN: Your love for the Filipino people is stronger than all typhoons. Your love is typhoon proof. Holy Father we promise you we will be the light of Jesus for Asia. You are our raincoat in the rain… Pope Francis we love you.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle promises the Pope that Filipinos will pray for him in helping the marginalized.

LUIS ANTONIO CARDINAL TAGLE, MANILA ARCHBISHOP: Every Filipino wants to go with you, not to Rome, but the peripheries.

NO NETWORK SERVICE? IT’S FOR POPE’S SAFETY, SAY TELCOS
During Pope Francis’ stay in the Philippines, digital activity in the texting capital of the world slows to a halt as telecommunication networks partially or fully shut off mobile services. Networks say government authorities ordered the shutdown for public safety.
Smart Communications issued daily SMS advisories to subscribers warning of cellular signal shutdown in places close to the Pope’s activities.
Globe Telecom’s SMS advisory from last Friday says “This was done with the directive of the National Telecommunications Commission. We hope for your understanding.” Mobile phones are often used to detonate explosives.

TS AMANG FOLLOWS POPE TO MANILA
Like in Leyte, tropical storm Amang does not stop Filipinos from coming out in the rain to see the Pope.
State weather bureau PAGASA says Amang moves northwest towards the province of Sorsogon at 15 kilometers per hour, bringing rain to Metro Manila and some parts of Luzon.
Manila is at Signal Number 1.


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EXECUTIVE PRODUCER / WRITER Lilibeth Frondoso
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