These 10 moments prove that Pope Francis is the coolest pope ever

by Pacifiqa Staff

 

Pope Francis’ much-awaited visit to the Philippines concluded yesterday when he flew back home to Rome. Initially dubbed as a “security nightmare” by the MMDA, the papal visit turned out to be a generally peaceful event, although there had been a tropical storm, casualties, and tasteless bomb jokes.

For five days, a sense of community united the whole country, putting all of our nation’s woes at a standstill. From his public mass at Luneta, his youth encounter at UST, his surprise visit to street children, and his meeting with Yolanda survivors, Pope Francis showed Filipinos, not just through his words but also through his actions, how it is to live a life of mercy and compassion, or simply, how it is to be a good human being.

Plenty of tender moments from the papal visit show why the masses love Pope Francis, who is a powerful yet humble leader. The Pope has already departed the country, but the memories he left with millions of Filipinos will surely linger on.

 

Pope Francis’ skullcap flew off as he arrived in Manila on January 15, Thursday.

 

And it flew off again when he arrived in Tacloban on Saturday.

 

Because of harsh weather brought by Typhoon Amang, the Pope and his staff had to wear yellow raincoats, even while holding mass.

 

But that did not dampen Pope Francis’ enthusiasm to meet Typhoon Yolanda victims in Tacloban.

 

Upon arriving in Manila from Tacloban, His Holiness traded skullcaps with a man who was waiting for him to arrive at the Villamor Airbase.

 

In the “Encounter with the Youth” event at the University of Santo Tomas, Pope Francis received a group hug from these kids after they performed “Tell the World of His Love,” the official song of the World Youth Day in 1995.

 

Aside from his humility, the Pope is also known for his sense of humor, as seen by some of the priests and nuns who attended his mass at the Manila Cathedral, Friday morning.

 

After the mass, the Pope visited the orphans and former street kids of Anak-Tulay ng Kabataan Foundation, just across the Cathedral.

 

In Friday’s event for Filipino families at the Mall of Asia Arena, Pope Francis and Cardinal Tagle were taught how to speak in sign language by a deaf man and his family.

 

And for the last time, while holding his own bag, he blessed the Filipino crowd before he boarded Shepherd One, the official papal plane, en route back to Rome.