Papal Nuncio spends Christmas with ‘Yolanda’ survivors

Typhoon survivors attend mass at the damaged Santo Nino Church in Tacloban, central Philippines on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013. AP

MANILA, Philippines – Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto, Papal Nuncio to the Philippines, arrived in Tacloban City in Leyte on Tuesday morning to visit and spend Christmas with the typhoon survivors.

Pinto, representative of Pope Francis, was welcomed by local priests when he arrived at the Tacloban City Airport around 9 a.m., Inquirer Radio 990AM said.

The papal nuncio will first visit an evacuation center in the city to see first-hand the situation of families affected by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” last month.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said Pinto will attend a gathering of the clergy before leading the midnight mass at the Cathedral of Our Lord’s Transfiguration in Palo.

Palo Archbishop John Du, in a statement, said they were worried about where the papal nuncio will sleep but Pinto was quoted saying, “I will sleep wherever you sleep.”

On Christmas Day, Pinto will preside over a 10 a.m. mass at the Sto. Niño Church in Tacloban City before heading to Manila.