Manila, Philippines, Jan 16, 2015 / 22:45 pm
Hundreds of thousands of people put up with the rain and the wind to attend an outdoor Mass with Pope Francis on Jan. 17 on the Philippine island of Leyte--"ground zero" of the 2013 Typhoon Haiyan disaster.
Nearly all in attendance, including the Pope, sported yellow ponchos. Some wiped tears as the Holy Father expressed his heartfelt desire to be close to the survivors of the storm.
"I'm here to be with you," he said in an impromptu homily. "A little bit late, I have to say. But I'm here. I've come to tell you that Jesus is Lord. That Jesus never lets us down."
Karen Papellero, from the Philippines island of Cebu, travelled about two hours by boat in order to be with Pope Francis near the Tacloban airport on Saturday.