Pope Francis visited the Philippines in January 2015 in response to an invitation from civil authorities. The purpose of the visit was to comfort and pray with those affected by Typhoon Haiyan in 2012, which displaced 4 million people. Pope Francis met with survivors in Tacloban and Palo to hear their stories of survival and rebuilding. The visit also allowed the Pope to meet with Catholics across the Philippines and spread a message of mercy and compassion, especially for those impacted by natural disasters. Over 1 million people attended masses with the Pope in Tacloban, Manila, and other locations during the January 2015 apostolic visit.

1. PAPAL VISIT 2015
POPE FRANCIS’ VIST AT THE
PHILIPPINES

3. Who is Pope Francis?
BIRTH NAME: Jorge Mario Bergoglio
BORN: December 17, 1936
AGE: 78
PAPACY Began : MArch13 ,2 013
PAPal name: Pope francis

4. The Purpose of the Apostolic Visit
The visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to the Philippines on January 15-19, 2015 is indeed a
great blessing to a nation whose covenant with God has been tested in various ways, but which has
also savored many triumphs in its four centuries of Christian faith.
The spotlight will not be on the person of the Pope but on the communities devastated by
“Haiyan,” the strongest typhoon on record, whose destructive path displaced four million people
and flattened a million homes. Pictures of survivors, carrying religious images and clutching their
rosaries while fleeing in the height of the typhoon’s devastation, are images of faith that have
struck a chord in the common humanity that brings the world together in times of tragedy.
Pope Francis will be with the people of Tacloban and Palo in Leyte as they recount their
stories of survival, pray for their dead, and continue to rebuild their lives. “Our compassionate
shepherd comes to show his deep concern for our people who have gone through devastating
calamities, especially in the Visayas. He comes to confirm us in our faith as we face the challenges
of witnessing to the Joy of the Gospel in the midst of our trials,” states the Pastoral Letter issued by
the bishops of the Philippines on July 4, 2014 to Prepare the People of God for the Apostolic Visit of
Pope Francis
The 2015 visit is also in response to the invitation of civil authorities, which affords the Holy Father
the chance to meet the faithful in Manila, the nation’s capital.
Christians from all walks of life are urged to prepare spiritually for the Pope’s forthcoming
visit, embracing the mercy of God and becoming a merciful people, concretely by extending an act
of mercy every day and by frequenting the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist.
“When the Pope comes, he will bring with him the message of the mercy and compassion of
God. When he meets us, may he see in us a people touched by the mercy of God, living out the
compassion of God, a people truly rich in mercy and compassion and grateful to those who have
shown mercy to us especially after various calamities hit our country,” the Pastoral Letter states.

5. POPE FRANCIS’
ARRIVAL FROM SRI
LANKA

6. POPE AT MOA ARENA

7. FILIPINOS’ WARM WELCOME

8. MASS AT TACLOBAN

9. FILIPINOS FROM TACLOBAN WARM WELCOME

10. MASS AT QUIRINO GRANDSTAND