The Roman Catholic’s supreme pontiff, Pope Francis met with the father of Kristel Mae Padasas, the 27-year-old volunteer who died after she was hit by a falling steel scaffolding in Tacloban City, during the visit of Pope Francis at the ground zero of super typhoon Yolanda. Pope Francis finally met Paulino Padasas on Sunday and he was comforted by the Pope during their meeting.
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According to a news report posted by the Vatican Radio, the father of Kristel Mae Padasas met Pope Francis in the Apostolic Nunciature in Manila on Sunday in an encounter that lasted over 20 minutes with Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle acting as interpreter.
During the rare meeting of Pope Francis and Paulino Padasas, the leader of the billion-strong Roman Catholic gave him a rosary which he promised to put into his only daughter’s picture.
Fr. Federico Lombardi, the director of the Holy See Press Office, also noted that there were two childhood photos of Kristel Padasas were on the table during the meeting and added further that the father was consoled by the fact that Padasas helped prepare for the Pope’s arrival.
Kristel Padasas worked for the Catholic Relief Services, the US bishops’ international relief and development agency, on a recovery project for super typhoon Yolanda that hits and devastated the islands of Visayas during the year 2013.