Pope on surprise visit to kids: ‘They miss a parent’s touch’

MANILA, Philippines – Pope Francis’ unplanned visit to former street children was a “beautiful encounter” that put the Pope of Surprises in his element, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle said on Friday, January 16.

Despite a packed schedule on his first full day in Manila, the Argentine pontiff made time to visit kids from the Tulay ng Kabataan organization after his Mass at the Manila Cathedral.

The surprise visit came after the children sent 1,000 letters requesting the Pope to meet them during his Philippine trip.

Photos showed the children smiling and hugging the Pope, and Francis in turn speaking to them. The Manila archbishop acted as the Pope’s translator.

In a press conference Friday, Tagle said the Pope was “in his element” as he gave the children his full attention and told them that they are loved.

“You could see his attentiveness. His eyes were starting to water,” Tagle said.

“He assured the children that they are loved by God, that God is with them, and that they should not forget that.”

Tagle said the Pope was very affectionate with the children, adding: “When they came to him, [the Pope] told me: ‘You could see how they miss the touch of a parent.'”

Speaking to Vatican Radio, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said the meeting was “very expressive of the entire sense of the mission of the Pope” in the Philippines.

“I think the Pope desired very much this meeting because [these children] are the concrete sign of what he would do in his life – he would meet all the street children in Manila!”

“This of course is not possible, but being with this representative group is a way to manifest what is at the center of his attention, of his heart” he added. – Rappler.com