Visit by Pope Francis to the Philippines
Pope Francis made a pastoral and state visit to the Philippines from January 15 to 19, 2015. He was the third pontiff to visit the Philippines after Paul VI in 1970 and John Paul II in 1981 and 1995, and officially the first papal visit in the 21st century and 3rd millennium after the title was originally scheduled for World Meeting of Families in 2003 but postponed due to John Paul II was unable to attend because of the progression of his Parkinson's disease. Besides Manila, Francis visited Tacloban and Palo, Leyte, to encourage the victims of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) and Typhoon Hagupit (Ruby). The Filipinos nicknamed Francis Lolo Kiko as a term of endearment, which he commended. Around 6–7 million attended Francis' final Papal Mass at Luneta, surpassing the crowd at World Youth Day 1995 in the same venue and making it the largest papal crowd in history. The theme of Francis' 2015 visit was "Mercy and Compassion".
Pope Francis during his 2014 visit to South Korea. The yellow ribbon pinned to the pope's clothing (bottom right) was used in memory of the Danwon High School students who perished in the sinking of MV Sewol.
Officers from Metropolitan Manila Development Authority sent to Leyte
Security simulation of papal convoy on Andrews Avenue near the Villamor Air Base
Concrete barriers installed along España Boulevard by University of Santo Tomas
Tacloban, officially the City of Tacloban, is highly urbanized city on Leyte island in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. The city is autonomous from the province of Leyte, although it serves as its provincial capital. According to the 2020 census, Tacloban has a population of 251,881, making it the most populous city in the Eastern Visayas. The city is located 360 miles (580 km) southeast from Manila.
Image: Tacloban downtown central overlooking Calvary Hill (Tacloban, Leyte; 04 29 2023)
Image: Yolanda Shrine MV Eva Jocelyn 2023 11 17
Image: Santo Nino Church Tacloban (002) 2023 11 19
Image: Tacloban downtown, Justice Romualdez Sen. Enage (Tacloban, Leyte; 04 29 2023)