Pope Francis departs from Nunciature for UST

By VIDA CRUZ, GMA News

Published January 18, 2015 9:11am

(Updated 9:41 a.m.) The papal motorcade, bearing Pope Francis, has left the Apostolic Nunciature for the University of Sto. Tomas shortly at 9:17 a.m. Sunday, the fourth day of his pastoral visit to the Philippines.

The Pope was aboard a black Volkswagen minivan, with the windows open.

As in the past, Filipinos who lined the streets at the route from the Nunciature to the UST cheered him on.

But this time, the convoy moved quickly, speeding past the crowds who had been waiting for him.

The convoy arrived at UST at 9:24 a.m.

The Apostolic Nunciature is the official residence of the Pope during his Philippine stay, as well as the residence of the Apostolic Nuncio, or the Holy See's embassador to the Philippines.

The pontiff is due to meet religious leaders at 9:45 a.m. at UST.

These include:

His Eminence Nektarios Tsilis of the Metropolitan, Orthodox Metropolitanate of Hong Kong and Southeast Asia;
Venerable Master Hsing Yun, a Buddhist monk representing the Fo Guang Shan Monastery in Taiwan;
Rabbi Eliyahu Azaria, Head of the Jewish Synagogue in Makati;
Maharaj Rajesh Sharma, Hindu priest;
His Excellency Ephraim Fajutagana, Obispo Máximo of the Philippine Independent Church and concurrent chair of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines;
Bishop Cesar Vicente Punzalan III, chairman of the board of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches;
Lilian Sison, former UST Graduate School dean member, Religions for Peace – Philippines;
Julkipli Wadi, Dean of the UP Institute of Islamic Studies;
Imam Ebra Moxir, President of the Imam Council of the Philippines;
Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno, chairman of the Philippine Bible Society

Afterward, at 10:30 a.m., the Pope will attend an encounter with some 24,000 youth representatives from different schools and organizations all over the country.

The general public is welcome to attend, although the UST Football Field and Grandstand is designated only for the representatives.

However, only three of the representatives are expected to speak before the Pope: a college student, an out-of-school youth, and a Typhoon Yolanda volunteer. —with a report from Joel Locsin/KG, GMA News

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