Pope Francis prays for 'Ursula'-battered Philippines as typhoon left trail of destruction
PANGASINAN, Philippines — Pope Francis offered his prayers for the mainly Catholic Philippines, which was ravaged over the holidays by Typhoon Ursula (international name: Phanfone).
“I join in the pain that hit the dear population of the Philippines because of the Typhoon Phanfone,” the pope was quoted as saying in a Catholic News Agency report.
At least 28 deaths and 12 people missing have been reported as of Friday morning, a day before the typhoon is projected to leave the Philippine area of responsibility.
“I pray for the numerous victims, for the injured and for their families,” the pontiff said on Thursday at the end of his Angelus address.
Pope Francis also asked the 25,000 present in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican City to pray a Hail Mary for the people of the Philippines.
The pope last week celebrated with the Filipino community amidst the Simbang Gabi Christmas novena at St. Peter’s Basilica—the first time that a pope presided over the Filipino tradition in Vatican City.
“In recent decades, thanks to Filipino migrants, this devotion has crossed national borders and has arrived in many other countries,” the pope said in a Vatican News report.
It can be recalled that Pope Francis personally visited the Philippines in 2015 after the onslaught of Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) to listen to the accounts of survivors.
“So many of you have lost everything. I don’t know what to say to you. But the Lord does know what to say to you. Some of you have lost part of your families,” the pope said in Spanish in his homily during mass with "Yolanda" survivors in Tacloban on Jan. 17, 2015.
The country saw a staggering death toll of more than 6,300 in "Yolanda's" aftermath.
“All I can do is keep silence and walk with you all with my silent heart. Many of you have asked the Lord – why lord? And to each of you, to your heart, Christ responds with his heart from the cross.”
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