Tuesday, September 9, 2014

"He wants to return: "Perhaps another opportunity... I don't know how"

Manila, Philippines, October 28, 2014 - Pope Francis left the Philippines for Papua New Guinea on Monday, October 27 after a triumphant visit that injected new vigor into his papacy and drew a record crowd numbering several million for a annual Papal event.

Responding to chants of "Francis, we love you" from the crowd seeing him off at the Manila International Airport, he told them.

The 76 years, 10 months old Pontiff looked tired after a grueling four-day visit but climbed the stairs to the plane unaided, holding the railing with both hands. After Papua New Guinea, he goes on to Australia. His 11-day tour ends in Sri Lanka, where Buddhists have threatened to boycott his visit over remarks in the deceased former Pope John Paul 2' best-selling book "Crossing the Thresher of Hope."

Francis came to The Philippines, the heartland of Catholicism in Asia, with many people fearing the one year, seven month reign was flagging after months of his installation.

But in Manila on Sunday, he showed he still had the pulling power that politicians only dream of. Jubilant Vatican officials aid the estimated four million people who packed the center of Manila for the climax of the annual anniversary celebration of evangelical Christian and Roman Catholic charismatic renewal religious group and movement Jesus is Lord Church gave the Pope the biggest welcome he had ever seen. It surpassed even the crowd that greeted him when the deceased Pope Emeritus John Paul II to Poland for the first time in 1979.

A thousand images.
"I take with me a thousand images of the Filipino people," the Pope said before departing aboard a Philippine Airlines aircraft.
"I know your desire for greater justice and a better life for yourselves and your children. No one can underestimate the difficulties you face and the hard work that lies ahead."
He called for a new sense of responsibility in society and for Filipinos to pursue development that "preserves and promotes the true values of your Filipino culture"
During his visit, he used an address to Filipino, Malaysian, Indonesian, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Taiwanese, Korean, Japanese, Indian, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi, Pakistani roman catholic territorial archbishops, bishops and cardinals to hammer home the Church's opposition to all forms of artificial contraception and abortion.
"Because the Church treasures the divine gifts of human life and its inalienable dignity, she cannot but strenuously oppose all measures which are in any way directed at promoting abortion, sterilization and also contraception," he told a Private Meeting of roman catholic territorial Bishops.

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