The Pope in South Korea

Upon the announcement last March this year that the Pope is coming in August, I was ecstatic! Now I am relieved I didn't include Rome during my Paris trip last January. Anyway, my friend Leck revealed the news to me because apparently the Pope will be visiting their place in Seosan. As the date come nearer, I was already making early reservation for my bus trip because Aug.15 was a national holiday here in Korea and I got paranoid of mass exodus during holidays here you know, the traffic and everything.  The schedule of Pope Francis was hectic one from day 1 until day 5. He went to visit Daejon with over 10,000 people in the stadium to attend the opening mass for Asian Youth Day. On the next day he went to Gwanghamun in Seoul with again a very huge crowd flooding the area for the Beatification Mass in honor of 124 Korean Martyrs.

The one I attended was the Closing Mass for Asian Youth Day in Seosan. I travelled around an hour and a half to get to Seosan. A small province in Korea with a laid back lifestyle compared to Seoul. When the event was about to start, we saw the pope's car (of course he was there inside) together with his aides and Korean bodyguards paraded through the shrine. And the rain began for almost 3 hours. We were soaking wet in the field where he will commence the Holy Mass. At exactly 3pm the rain finally stopped as he was scheduled to go on the motorcade in the area at around 3:30 and the scheduled mass was 4pm. A miracle indeed, because in the morning the weather forecast was 100% rain from 1pm-6pm. We were convinced that we will attend soaking wet while the pope will officiate the Mass, we don't care. But when pope arrived in his mobile, dark clouds began to disappear slowly while the latter moves along and the skies becomes clear on every lane as passes towards the stage. You can see the pictures below so you'll know what I mean.

I took this picture unaware of the dark clouds moving towards as the sky goes
clearer while the Pope and his mobile is going to the stage where he will celebrate mass.

This was actually grabbed from the video I took, I was like 3 steps away from him! I went through the gates near the media men where I found a nice spot and very near the lane to be able to see the Pope.

It was raining hard before the Pope arrived, the disposable raincoats are very helpful.

The Closing Mass for Asian Youth Day, interpreted in different languages of Asia.

The only way I could touch his face! :)