Manila: Pope Francis braved heavy rains and ignored the possibility of being stranded in typhoon-hit Leyte where thousands died during typhoon Haiyan in 2013, to deliver his promise of consoling calamity victims.

The 78-year-old Pontiff donned transparent yellow plastic rain gear as with the tens of thousands of residents and held the Eucharistic Celebration near the seaside Daniel Romualdez Airport, despite the stinging rain.

As many as 400,000 people welcomed him during his visit to Eastern Visayas.

The head of the Catholic Church was wet from the rain but he was together with his flock and for most, this sacrifice by the Pontiff was no small measure but a serious gesture that he felt the pain of suffering as the victims do.

The mass was held close to the “ground zero” where typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), left more than 6,300 people dead and millions of others homeless, without basic utilities and as well as food and water when the typhoon struck last November 8, 2013.

However, plans to spend the entire day in Tacloban and nearby areas that were devastated by Super Typhoon Haiyan 14 months ago were ruined by another storm, forcing him to fly back to Manila at lunchtime.

“So I apologise to you all. I’m sad about this, truly saddened,” the 78-year-old pontiff told thousands of people who had gathered at one church shortly before he raced back to the airport. The Pope’s plane made the 90-minute flight back to the Philippine capital of Manila safely.

But highlighting the dangers of the storm, a papal volunteer at the morning mass died as steel scaffolding collapsed on her, a church spokesman said.

Residents and victims of Haiyan were moved to tears while listening to Pope Francis speak and deliver on his promise to console them. For most of them hearing words direct from the Pontiff is consolation enough for the hardships that they had endured

Jose Dy, 50, whose brother runs a distributorship business in Tacloban City when the typhoon struck, told Gulf News in a phone interview that he and dozens of others ignored the heavy rains and walked 15 kilometres to hear the Pope say mass. “It was difficult, but the sacrifice was worth it,” Dy, a former seminarian said.

Dy, a computer software professional, flew from Manila to attend the religious activity in Tacloban City.

To some who had personally witnessed and felt the effects of the destruction brought about by Haiyan, hearing the mass delivered by the Pope was a life-changing experience twice over.

Tacloban City-based Dr Auxilladora Abanilla, a physician who is in her seventies, and had said that people had ignored the rains, cold weather and woke up as early as 3am to see the Pope say mass at 9:30am.

‘Changed our life’

“Typhoon Haiyan had changed our life when it brought destruction, having the Pope console us is a similarly moving experience” she said.

The Pope’s itinerary in the Philippines was for four days and started with his arrival late afternoon January 15 in Manila, he was supposed to have several hours visit in Tacloban City and Palo, but this juncture in the trip was cut short by several hours because of the poor weather conditions.

The Pope had a rousing welcome in Manila, but in Tacloban City and Palo, the aura was different. “You can feel the difference in the mood the way people welcomed the Pope in Manila when compared to Tacloban City and Palo. The crowd behaved subdued, serious and solemn,” Dr Abanilla told Gulf News.

“The people really need consoling that this time of difficulties, and the Pope was there to give it to them,” she said adding that the welcome given by the people in Haiyan affected Visayas contrast sharply with that delivered to the Pontiff in Manila.

Bishop Oscar Cruz, former president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines said Pope Francis’ “populist” demeanour contrast sharply with that of his predecessors and will bring success to the Catholic Church in bringing itself closer to the people.

— with inputs from AFP