Soaked pope comforts typhoon survivors, shortens trip
Pope Francis shortened his trip Saturday to the central Philippine city of Tacloban — hard hit by Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 — after whipping winds and stormy skies moved in ahead of a tropical storm.
Winds tore at the altar cloth and threatened to topple candlesticks as Pope Francis donned a yellow rain poncho in an effort to keep dry at an outdoor Mass near the city's airport.
The pontiff had traveled to the far eastern Philippines to comfort survivors of devastating Typhoon Haiyan, which leveled entire villages and left more than 7,300 people dead or missing, many of them in Tacloban.
"So many of you have lost everything," Francis said to the 150,000 Catholic faithful gathered for Mass in an open field near the airport. "I don't know what to say to you, but the Lord does know what to say to you. Some of you lost part of your families. All I can do is keep silent. And I walk with you all with my silent heart."
A thoroughly soaked Francis spoke in his native Spanish. He ditched his prepared homily and instead composed a brief prayer.
After the Mass, Francis' motorcade took him to a lunch with 30 survivors of Haiyan, and then to a cathedral in the city of Palo.
Entering without the usual ceremony and procession, Francis took the microphone and told a surprised crowd that he would have to leave four hours ahead of schedule.
"I apologize to all of you," he said, speaking in Italian through a translator. "I am sad about this, truly saddened."
Francis said the pilots of the Philippine Airlines jet told him the weather would worsen after 1 p.m. "We barely have time to get to the airplane," he said.
Tropical Storm Mekkhala was forecast to make landfall on nearby Samar Island in the late afternoon or early evening with winds of 60-80 mph.
A 27-year-old volunteer with Catholic Relief Services died after being hit by scaffolding after the Mass, regional police Chief Asher Dolina said.
Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said the pope was informed about the woman's death and had asked his aides "to investigate how he could show his own suffering in solidarity with the (woman's) family," Lombardi said.
A private jet carrying several Philippine Cabinet officials who accompanied Francis blew its front tires during takeoff following the pope's plane and veered off the runway. There were no injuries.
The pontiff's visit to the Philippines culminates Sunday with a public Mass in Manila's Rizal Park that is likely to draw up to 6 million. On Monday, he returns to the Vatican.
Contributing: The Associated Press