Roman Catholicism in The Philippines - Papal Visits

Papal Visits

• Pope Paul VI was the target of an assassination attempt at Manila International Airport in the Philippines in 1970. The assailant, a Bolivian Surrealist painter named Benjamín Mendoza y Amor Flores, lunged toward Pope Paul with a kris, but was subdued.
• Pope John Paul II visited the country twice, 1981 and 1995. The mass of the late pope in Manila (1995) was recorded to have been attended by 4 million people, the highest number ever recorded in papal history.
• Pope Benedict XVI declined the invitation of Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales and CBCP President Angel Lagdameo to visit because of a hectic schedule.