by Felipe Gomez sj

First reactions among Asian students in Manila to the mass inaugurating the new pontificate.

Manila (AsiaNews) – Everyone at Manila's East Asian Pastoral Institute—students, professors and support staff—followed Pope Benedict XVI's inaugural mass with great interest.

Students come from all over Asia and the Pacific region. They followed the event on TV. Many were excited when they saw faithful from their home countries or waving their national flags.

"This pope really loves people," said a nun from Sri Lanka; "I am proud of our Cardinals who elected such a pope. Now I feel full of hope," said a priest who is a missionary in Japan.

The faithful who followed the mass in the Institute were struck by Benedict XVI's great humility and simplicity, even though "his great culture is acknowledged everywhere".

Students are now commenting the homily's most significant passages: "not my will, but God's will" and the insistence in calling for unity among Christians.

A layman from Samoa was struck by Benedict XVI's pledge to be a "good shepherd", ready to sacrifice even his life for the lost sheep, so that there truly may be "one fold and one shepherd".

• philippines
• vatican
• benedict
• xvi
• inaugural
• mass
• april
• 24
• 2005
• reactions