Pope Francis Arrives In Manila With Warm Pinoy Welcome

Pope Francis is on his papal visit here in the Philippines is bigger news than the State Visit of President Barack Obama for Filipinos who has been longing to see the leader of the Catholic Church for 20 years since the last visit of Saint (Pope) John Paul II in 1995 for the World Youth Day held in Manila.

Pope Francis has been a very charismatic pope upon his election on 2013. Now with his historic visit to the Philippines, it has been declared as a special holiday. And upon his arrival at around 6PM Manila Time, his plane landed in Villamor Air base with almost a thousand people eagerly waiting for the first steps of Pope Francis to the Philippines.

And truly enough, upon his emergence out of the plane, he is greeted by officials of the Philippine government led by President Aquino and the Filipino bishops among them is Archbishop of Manila Cardinal Tagle. Wave after wave of songs and dance were presented to the Pope by children performing different songs to welcome the pontiff.

2015 A New Year Indeed For KatKab!

After some dormant months, KatKab is back and is gaining momentum with a number of Catholic activities which starts as early as January 2015. Well first of course is Jan 1 which is the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. This is a day of obligation for Catholics as Mary is celebrated as the Theotokos or "God Bearer" who brought into the world Jesus Christ.

There is also the celebration of the feast of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo or the traslacion that happens on Jan 9 where millions of Catholics join in to pray to Jesus the Nazarene and bring his image from Luneta to Quaipo. This 400 year old tradition has been faithfully followed by Filipinos and even pilgrims from provinces flock to Manila for the celebration. 

International and local flavor to mark Papal Visit masses

Pope Francis will be 3rd pontiff to celebrate Mass at Manila Cathedral

Pope Francis’ visit to the Philippines in January will mirror both the universality of the Church and the Filipino faith as expressed in their culture, particularly in the scheduled Eucharistic celebrations.

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, during the regular press briefing held at the Papal Visit media office in Intramuros yesterday, said the masses to be celebrated by the Holy Father during his 5-day visit will be “regular masses”.  But these, he added, will be expressions of “the internationality of the Church because these will be multi-lingual and will use the major languages of the Filipinos.”

The first of three masses that Pope Francis will celebrate in the Philippines will be held at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Manila Cathedral) at 11:15 a.m. on January 16, the second day of his visit.  He arrives from Sri Lanka in the late afternoon of the 15th but no public events are scheduled after the arrival ceremonies at Villamor Air Base.