Some Pinoys not too happy with loud 'cheerleader' at papal Mass in Luneta

While many Filipinos are likely to miss Pope Francis when he leaves for Rome on Monday, not all will miss the barker leading the chants at the Quirino Grandstand where the pope's closing Mass was held.

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After mass, Pope Francis goes around Luneta to bless faithful

After presiding over his concluding Mass at the Quirino Grandstand, Pope Francis went around the Luneta to bless the Filipinos who had gathered there to see him.

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Pope Francis asks Pinoys to work together for peace

Continuing his strong message to the Filipino family and the youth, Pope Francis on Sunday consecrated Pinoy families and communities to Jesus, the Christ Child, asking them work together to build a “world of justice, integrity and peace.”

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Beware of ‘superficial pastimes,’ Pope cautions faithful

Pope Francis had strong words against sin and temptation in his homily on Sunday, during the Mass he officiated at the Quirino Grandstand, describing these as “great threats” to God’s plan.

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FULL TEXT: Pope Francis’ homily in Quirino Grandstand mass

"May the Santo Niño continue to bless the Philippines and to sustain the Christians of this great nation in their vocation to be witnesses and missionaries of the joy of the Gospel, in Asia and in the whole world."

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Pope Francis in Luneta: Our ‘deepest identity’ is as God’s children

Speaking before millions of devotees during his concluding Mass at the Quirino Grandstand on Sunday afternoon, Pope Francis highlighted the Filipinos' special relationship with Sto. Niño, the Christ-child, asking the faithful to embrace the identity of being “God’s children.”

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Straight from the heart: Why Pope Francis deviates from his prepared speeches

Though he had his prepared speeches written in English with him, Pope Francis in several instances during his stay in the country has opted to go off script and delivered his messages to the Filipino faithful spontaneously in Spanish.

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Pope meets father of volunteer who died after Tacloban Mass

Pope Francis on Sunday met with the father of a volunteer who died in an accident shortly after his Mass in Tacloban City on Saturday.

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PNoy joins millions in Pope Francis’ Quirino Grandstand mass

President Benigno Aquino III on Sunday joined millions of Filipinos at the Quirino Grandstand to hear the Holy Mass to be officiated by Pope Francis.

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Listen to women more, don't be macho, Pope tells men

Pope Francis said on Sunday men should listen to women's ideas more and not be male chauvinists.

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PNP: More gates opened in Luneta for papal Mass

Authorities on Sunday opened more entrances to the Luneta Park in Manila after several pilgrims waiting for Pope Francis to officiate a Mass there got hurt because of the shoving and jostling.

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Millions brave storm to hear Pope Francis’ Mass in Luneta

Just hours after delivering yet another message for people to care for the less fortunate, Pope Francis on Sunday afternoon motored to the Quirino Grandstand amid the cheers of millions of rain-drenched Filipinos that gathered for what could be the biggest Holy Mass in the country in decades.

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Pope Francis on way to Luneta in jeepney Popemobile

Pope Francis is on his way to the Luneta for his concluding Mass.

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FULL TEXT: Pope Francis' message to young people at UST

Below are the remarks in full of Pope Francis during his Encounter with the Youth event on Sunday at University of Santo Tomas, with parts spoken in Spanish translated into English.

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UST crowd control for papal encounter didn't work

As soon as Pope Francis entered the UST campus, people started cheering and raising their gadgets to capture the once-in-a-lifetime moment of personally seeing the pope. Those standing behind jeered as those taking photos of the pontiff blocked their view.

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Pit Señor! Luneta crowd practices Sinulog chants while waiting for Pope

Pope Francis' concluding Mass at the Quirino Grandstand on Sunday could have a touch of Sinulog, if the crowds' practices are any indication.

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Groups ask Church to ‘really work with the poor’

In time for the visit of Pope Francis in the Philippines and the Mass he will officiate Sunday afternoon, several groups asked the Catholic Church to truly work with the poor.

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Pope tweets anew in Filipino, urges Pinoys to reach out to the needy

Pope Francis tweeted anew in Filipino shortly after noon Sunday, urging the faithful to reach out to the needy and serve them.

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Beaming Pope Francis serenaded by kids at UST

Just as Pope John Paul II was serenaded by millions of young voices during the 1995 World Youth Day celebration at Luneta with “Tell the World of His Love,” Pope Francis was also treated to the same song during his meeting with the youth in the University of Santo Tomas on Sunday morning.

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Pope poses for selfies after encounter with youths at UST

What could be cooler than a selfie with Pope Francis? A selfie with Pope Francis wearing a yellow raincoat.

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Pope dares Pinoy youth: Learn how to weep for the marginalized

Pope Francis on Sunday challenged the Filipino youth to "learn how to weep" for the poor and the marginalized during his second to the last day of his visit to the Philippines, where a fourth of the population live in poverty.

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Pope pushes for women’s greater role in society, hits culture of machismo

Pope Francis on Sunday pushed for women's greater role in society and crticized the culture of machismo during his encounter with Filipino youth.

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Pope offers prayers for volunteer who died after Tacloban papal Mass

Pope Francis on Sunday offered prayers for the Filipina who died on Saturday after a papal Mass in Tacloban City.

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CBCP exec tells Pope Francis: You are Pinoy youth’s father

An official of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines on Sunday expressed gratitude to Pope Francis for believing the Filipino youth are not just the gems of the world, but also treasures of the world.

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Former streetchildren get hug, rosaries from Pope at UST

In tears, a former street child recounted before Pope Francis her life of poverty, living under a bridge before she was taken in by a non-government organization.

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Pinoy devotees in UST eat, sleep while waiting for Pope Francis

Filipino Catholic devotees at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) on Sunday were seen eating or sleeping while waiting for Pope Francis.

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Pope Francis departs from Nunciature for UST

The papal motorcade, bearing Pope Francis, has left the Apostolic Nunciature for the University of Sto. Tomas shortly after 9 a.m. Sunday, the fourth day of his pastoral visit to the Philippines.

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Police trainee sees duty as human barricade a way to serve the Lord

Standing for hours may be tiring, exhausting even, but it is all worth it especially when you are doing it for your God.

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Some dismayed, some okay with barricades in public areas at UST papal visit

Despite barricades preventing the public from going to the UST Grandstand, the Catholic faithful are still hopeful to see Pope Francis in his second to the last major activity in the Philippines.

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Millions to gather for Pope in stormy PHL

Pope Francis will celebrate mass with millions in the Philippine capital on Sunday in what could be the world's biggest papal gathering, capping off a dramatic trip in the Catholic Church's Asian heartland.

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Pope Francis to conclude Asian trip with huge outdoor Mass in Manila

Pope Francis wraps up his Asian trip on Sunday with an outdoor Mass expected to draw one of the largest crowds in Philippine history.

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Coast Guard: 11.4k stranded due to Storm Amang

More than 11,000 people were stranded in various ports before dawn Sunday amid bad weather conditions from Tropical Storm Amang (Mekkhala), the Philippine Coast Guard said.

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Jostling injures pilgrims waiting for Pope Francis at Quirino Grandstand

An unknown number of pilgrims who had lined up for Pope Francis' Mass at the Quirino Grandstand were injured early Sunday because of the shoving and jostling in the crowd.

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LIVE UPDATES: Papal Visit PH 2015 - Day 4

Millions of people are expected to attend a pair of events with Pope Francis on Sunday on the penultimate day of his visit to the Philippines. GMA News Online has the freshest updates.

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Pinoys line route from nunciature to UST, sea of people forming at Luneta

Filipinos before dawn Sunday started lining the route from the Apostolic Nunciature in Manila to the University of Santo Tomas for Pope Francis' encounter with the youth.

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Tacloban trip included many firsts for Pope Francis – Cardinal Tagle

Though it was an abbreviated Leyte trip for Pope Francis, it was also full of new experiences for the 78-year-old head of the Roman Catholic Church.

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In undelivered speech, pope thanks Yolanda rescue, relief workers

In an undelivered speech, Pope Francis expressed his gratitude to those who helped the areas hit by Typhoon Yolanda in November 2013.

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No mobile phone signals Sunday at the Luneta – security advisory

Pilgrims can expect zero mobile phone signals Sunday at the Luneta when millions of people gather for the Catholic mass Pope Francis will preside over.

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INFOGRAPHIC: Highlights of the third day of Pope Francis' visit to the Philippines

Here are the highlights of the third day of Pope Francis' visit to the Philippines, at a glance.

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Pope Francis calms tense passengers on bumpy return to Manila

Pope Francis and his fellow passengers on the papal flight went through even stronger turbulence on the return flight to Manila from his visit to Yolanda-hit areas in Tacloban City and Palo, Leyte on Saturday, GMA News’ Kara David has reported.

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Yolanda survivors’ stories reduced Pope to silence—Cardinal Tagle

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle said on Saturday that Pope Francis told him that the stories of the survivors of super typhoon Yolanda had an intense impact on Pope Francis, even after his interaction with them was cut short by an oncoming storm.

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Pope Francis to Yolanda survivors: God makes things new

A threatening storm forced Pope Francis to leave his meeting with survivors of super typhoon Yolanda much earlier than scheduled but the pontiff still managed to impart his message of hope to those left behind in Leyte and nearby areas.

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‘Everyone's involved’ as UST prepares for 4th papal visit

The University of Santo Tomas is no stranger to papal visits, having been graced three times by two popes in the last 45 years.

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FULL TEXT: Cruz family's testimony on PWDs at the Encounter with Families

I am Renato G. Cruz. I am with my wife, Anastacia, and my children, Zernice Anne, Reanne, Jeizel Ann, and Azrick-Jon. My wife and I are deaf, but my children are hearing.

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PHOTO GALLERY: Pope Francis' third day in the Philippines

Pope Francis traveled to Leyte on the third day of his visit to the Philippines. While his trip was shortened because of weather condition, the Pope still managed to touch the hearts of Yolanda survivors with his short visit.

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FULL TEXT: Dizon family's testimony on poverty at the Encounter with Families

We are the Dizon Family and we live in Barangay Krus Na Ligas, Quezon City, a small community with a big population, living a simple life.

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Pope’s 3rd Filipino tweet: God’s compassion gives meaning to our struggles

During the third day of his stay in the country, Pope Francis posted his third tweet in Filipino while at his official residence at the Apostolic Nunciature on Saturday evening.

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FULL TEXT: Welcome message of Bishop Gabriel Reyes at the Encounter with the Families

Our wages are not enough. Our backs are aching from working all day in foreign lands. Our children are hungry and we have none to feed them. We have not seen our children for years. We look for happiness in drugs and alcohol.

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Leyte folk still found comfort in Pope Francis despite shortened visit –Church official

TACLOBAN CITY — Pope Francis' visit to Leyte may be shorter than what was originally intended, but his message nevertheless brought comfort to the residents — most if not all of them disaster survivors — who've been eagerly awaiting his arrival for months.

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Coast Guard: 11,289 stranded due to Amang

At least 11,289 passengers were stranded in various major ports as of Saturday noon due to Tropical Storm Amang, the Philippine Coast Guard said.

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