Sunday Mass in Manila Typhoon shortens pope's trip in Tacloban
The Pontiff is also scheduled to perform an
outdoor Mass in Manila on Sunday before
millions of Filipinos, Miller said.
By then, the storm should weaken to a tropical
depression, and its center should be about 109
miles south of the Pope, Miller said. Still, the
storm is capable of delivering its heaviest
rainfall at that distance, and Manila could face
gusty winds and significant rain during the
Mass, Miller added.
The Pope's trip to Asian isles began Tuesday in
Sri Lanka, and he landed in the Philippines on
Friday.
On Friday, Francis met with President Benigno
Aquino, and the Pontiff urged the political
leader to reject corruption and promote
"honesty, integrity and commitment to the
common good," the Vatican said. He also spoke
of "the moral imperative of ensuring social
justice and respect for human dignity,"
according to a copy of his remarks provided by
the Vatican.
"Here in the Philippines, countless families are
still suffering from the effects of natural
disasters. The economic situation has caused
families to be separated by migration and the
search for employment, and financial problems
strain many households. While all too many
people live in dire poverty, others are caught up
in materialism and lifestyles which are
destructive of family life and the most basic
demands of Christian morality," the Pope said in
other remarks.
The Pope will end his tour Monday, when he
will leave Manila for Rome.
(CNN)Pope Francis donned a slicker to conduct
an outdoor Mass for hundreds of thousands
who gathered Saturday morning in the
Philippines despite stormy weather.
The Mass in Tacloban was shortened because of
an approaching typhoon that had sustained
winds of 80 mph and higher gusts.
A throng gathered at the Tacloban airport to
greet the Pope when he arrived at about 9 a.m.
local time (8 p.m. ET.)
The Mass began nearby about half an hour after
he landed. Wind rustled the hood on the
pontiff's slicker as he spoke to a crowd clad in
raincoats.
Tacloban is still recovering from the 2013
disaster of Super Typhoon Haiyan, described as
perhaps the strongest storm ever recorded with
195 mph sustained winds that killed 6,300
people nationwide.
Typhoon Mekkhala was upgraded from a
tropical storm and should make landfall in the
Philippines at about noon, about an hour after
the Mass concluded, just northeast of Tacloban,
said CNN meteorologist Sean Morris.
The forecast track has shifted slightly northward
with the center of the storm expected to pass
north of Tacloban.
Another typhoon was headed for the same
general area in the Philippines early Saturday,
the Joint Typhoon Warning Center said.
MANILA, Philippines–Here is one lottery any
priest and member of the religious would
definitely want to win.
Citing the cramped space at Manila Cathedral in
Intramuros, organizers of the papal visit have
decided to make the papal Mass at the 2,000-
seat capacity church a “by invitation only”
event, limiting the number of guests to only 10
priests and five religious sisters per diocese.
Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma
said the papal visit steering committee had
asked every diocese to send only 10 priests and
five religious sisters for the Holy Mass, where
Pope Francis will deliver a homily.
The papal Mass with the bishops, priests and
religious women and men will be held on Jan.
16, the second day of Francis’ visit.
Earlier, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal
Tagle already explained that only a few
delegates would be accommodated in some of
the events during the papal visit due to limited
space in some venues.
“The public Masses are open to the public, like
the one in Tacloban and Luneta,” Tagle said.
“But in some of the events, like the Encounter
with Families, because of the constraints of the
venue, representatives from different sectors or
provinces will be accommodated, but only a
certain number of delegates,” he said on Friday.
The Pope is scheduled to arrive in Manila on
Jan. 15 from Sri Lanka. He will fly to Tacloban on
Jan. 17 to meet with the survivors of Super
Typhoon “Yolanda” (international name:
Haiyan).

To be fair in picking out who would attend the He will return to Rome on Jan. 19.
Holy Mass, Ledesma said priests were chosen
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by lottery in their archdioceses.
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“We were able to choose by lottery and section mass-at-manila-cathedral-by-invitation-
by the vicariates. Among the sisters, I think they only/#ixzz3PnMYya27
just have to choose among themselves who will
attend,” Ledesma told reporters. Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter |
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As for lay members who want to get a glimpse
of the Pope or attend a papal event, Ledesma
said they could attend the public Mass
scheduled on Jan. 18 at Quirino Grandstand in
Luneta, Manila.

“They will also have the chance since the Holy

Father will also have a general Mass … It is an
outdoor Mass (so) there will be more
accommodation for everyone,” said the senior
prelate.