Though it was an abbreviated Leyte trip for Pope Francis, it was also full of new experiences for the 78-year-old head of the Roman Catholic Church.
Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle said on Saturday that it was the first time the Pope experienced a tropical storm and celebrated a Mass wearing a poncho.
“I have experienced occasional rain but this type? No, no, no,” Pope Francis told the Filipino cardinal.
When Tagle asked the pontiff if he had celebrated Mass in a raincoat, the pope said, “No, this is the first time!”
Tagle said that there were suggestions the Pope travel in a closed vehicle. But, Pope Francis would not hear of it.
“Ah, no no no! This is the reason why I am here. I am here to show solidarity. If people had waited and sacrificed under the heat of the sun or cold of the rain, then why should the pastor not be with them,” said the Pope according to Tagle.
The pope is looking at different ways to offer help to the victim and her family, Lombardi said. — DVM, GMA News
