Pope Francis asks prayers for Sri Lanka, Philippines visit

Patricia Lourdes Viray(The Philippine Star)

January 12, 2015 - 11:37am

Pope Francis delivers his speech as he celebrates a Mass at the Vatican, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2015. Pope Francis on Sunday baptized 33 babies in the Sistine Chapel as part of an annual tradition, this year repeating an invitation to mothers to nurse their babies if crying out of hunger. For the first time in his pontificate, Francis celebrated Mass with his back to the faithful, according to the rites before the modernizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s. AP/L'Osservatore Romano, pool

MANILA, Philippines - Pope Francis requested for prayers for his trip to Sri Lanka and the Philippines.

"I would like to ask you to please accompany me with prayer. I'd also like to ask the Sri Lankans and the Filipinos who are here in Rome to pray especially for me and this trip," Pope Francis said during the Angelus prayer at the Vatican.

The Pope is scheduled to leave the Vatican on Monday night for Sri Lanka.

He is expected to arrive in Colombo, Sri Lanka on Tuesday to canonize a priest named Joseph Vaz.

Pope Francis is also set to have an inter-religious dialogue, poverty and the environment.

On January 15, the Pope will arrive in Manila and stay in the country until January 19.

The Pope will hold activities for victims of typhoon Yolanda in Tacloban City and Palo, Leyte.

SPONSORED ARTICLES