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Multitudinary Welcome to the Pope in Panama

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Flags of dozens of countries, chants, prayers and a great euphoria characterized the popular welcoming crowd offered Pope Francis after his arrival Wednesday at the international airport of Tocumen.
 
Since early afternoon, Panamanians, visitors and very especially the pilgrims attending the Catholic World Youth Journey (WYJ), took to the streets of this capital looking for the best place to greet the High Pontiff during his tour to the Apostolic Nuncio.
 
An elder woman told Prensa Latina 'the hour has come, I will finally will see him from up close', she exclaimed and confessed she was there since early afternoon, at the church of Don Bosco (1815-1888), the saint of youths.
 
Although he did not break protocol rules at this holy place, the Pope did break the rules at the airport, when he decided to near the edge of the state where some two thousand pilgrims of diverse parishes of the country were waving flags of Panama and the Vatican.
 
After his arrival to the Apostolic Nunciature, the successor of Peter received a group of joyful children dressed with dresses representative of the patron saints of the world ecclesial gathering of Catholic Youth.
 
After the warm welcome, Pope Francis will begin today an official agenda, including the activities of the Catholic World Youth Journey, scheduled to finish on Sunday with an open air mass in the outskirts of the city, in a splanade which is named Field Juan Pablo II, first Pope to visit the isthmus in 1983. / PL