Pope Francis to visit PH in January 2015

On Monday, May 26, Pope Francis himself confirmed that he will visit the Philippines in January 2015.

The Pope made the announcement during the in-flight news conference on his return to Rome from the Holy Land.

Francis X. Rocca of the Catholic News Service wrote: “During an inflight news conference on his return to Rome from the Holy Land, the pope also confirmed reports the Vatican is investigating charges its former secretary of state misappropriated $20 million from the Vatican bank. And he announced he plans to visit the Philippines and Sri Lanka in January.”

Archbishop of Manila Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle had previously said that plans were underway for the Pope to visit the Philippines, as well as Sri Lanka, on a single trip to the region.

“I think one of the purposes of the visit of the Holy Father is to come close to the people who suffered from (Typhoon Yolanda) and the (Visayas quake),” Tagle had said in a CBCP report.

The Vatican has not yet released the specific dates of the Pope’s visit.

Meanwhile, CBCP president Archbishop Socrates Villegas has assured the public that preparations for the papal visit “would not be a major problem.”

“The Pope is welcome anytime. The time to prepare is not an obstacle,” said Villegas in the same CBCP report, adding that many people will help in the preparation.