On January 15 to 19, when Pope Francis arrives for his Philippine pastoral visit, human and motor-vehicle traffic wherever he goes is expected to be extremely heavy. Precisely why the government already declared January 15 and 16 to be nonworking holidays so that the Catholic faithful may pay their respects to the pontiff, and also to lessen the volume of traffic on our roads.
Of course, it helps to know where exactly Pope Francis will be at precise moments during his visit if you wish to stay away from the expected gridlocks. Here, then, is the official itinerary as released by PapalVisit.ph.
January 15, 2015 (Thursday)
17:45 - Arrival at Villamor Air Base
January 16, 2015 (Friday)
09:15 - Welcome ceremony at Malacañang Palace (courtesy visit to the President)
10:15 - Meeting with the authorities and the diplomatic corps at the Rizal Ceremonial Hall of the Presidential Palace
11:15 - Holy Mass with the bishops and priests at the Cathedral (Basilica of the Immaculate Conception) in Manila
17:30 - Meeting with families at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City
January 17, 2015 (Saturday)
08:15 - Departure by plane from Manila for Tacloban
09:30 - Arrival at the airport of Tacloban
10:00 - Holy Mass near Tacloban International Airport
12:45 - Lunch with some of the survivors of typhoon Yolanda at the Archbishop’s Residence in Palo
15:00 - Blessing of the Pope Francis Center for the Poor
15:30 - Meeting with the priests, women and men religious, seminarians and families of the survivors at the Cathedral of Palo
17:00 - Departure by plane for Manila
18:15 - Arrival at Villamor Air Base
January 18, 2015 (Sunday)
09:45 - Brief meeting with the religious leaders of the Philippines at the Pontifical University of Santo Tomas in Manila
10:30 - Meeting with the youth at the Sports Field of the University
15:30 - Holy Mass at Rizal Park in Manila
January 19, 2015 (Monday)
09:45 - Leave-taking ceremony at the Presidential Pavilion of Villamor Air Base
10:00 - Departure by plane from Manila for Rome
Photo from Vatican Communication's Twitter account
