AFTER Pope Francis’s five-day visit last week to the Philippines, from January 15 to 19, it is only fitting to write about this very historical and symbolical event, which captured the attention of people worldwide, and that left hundreds, if not thousands, of Filipino people with “Pope Fever.”
During the pope’s visit at the Rizal Ceremonial Hall in Malacañang, in attendance were ambassadors, members of the diplomatic corps, dignitaries, politicians and religious leaders to welcome the pope as head of the Holy See and vicar of Christ. Immediately, Pope Francis mentioned in his speech that the purpose of his trip was, above all, pastoral.
This was not surprising for this pope, who has earned a reputation of being down-to-earth and has a casual approach to the papacy. He has been noted for his simplicity and humility and, as the supreme pontiff of the Church, he chose to live in the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse, instead of the papal apartments of the Apostolic Palace. He favors simpler vestments without elaborate ornamentation; and he has chosen a silver ring, instead of the usual gold for his piscatory ring. During his visit to the Philippines, he only wore simple garments and shoes, and was even seen carrying his own bag.
‘Slum bishop’
It has been noted that throughout his public life as a religious leader and as a person, Pope Francis has been concerned with the welfare of the poor, as he was also known in Argentina as the “slum bishop.” He also believes in the power of dialogue as a path to build understanding, which will bridge the divide between people of different beliefs, religions and backgrounds.
During his visit, he emphasized the importance of families, women and children, and said that the highlight of his visit is his meeting with families and young people in Manila.
He also emphasized the importance of assisting the poor and the marginalized, and he challenged everyone in all levels of society “to reject every form of corruption that diverts resources from the poor.” He also said that “a fundamental role in the renewal of society is played, of course, by the family, and especially by young people…families have an indispensible mission in society.”
The pope also met briefly with representatives of various religions from different countries at University of Santo Tomas (UST), and among those present were His Eminence Nektarios Tsilis of the Metropolitan, Orthodox Metropolitanate of Hong Kong and Southeast Asia; Venerable Master Hsing Yun, a Buddhist monk representing the Fo Guang Shan Monastery in Taiwan; Rabbi Eliyahu Azaria, head of the Jewish Synagogue in Manila; Maharaj Rajesh Sharma, a Hindu priest; His Excellency Ephraim Fajutagana, Obispo Maximo of the Philippine Independent Church and concurrent chairman of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines; Bishop Cesar Vicente Punzalan III, chairman of the board of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches; Lilian Sison, former dean member of UST Graduate School, Religions of Peace-Philippines; Julkipli Wadi, dean of the UP Institute of Islamic Studies; Imam Ebra Moxir, president of the Imam Council of the Philippines; and former Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno, chairman of the Philippine Bible Society
‘Ambassadors of Christ’
Pope Francis has called on the clergy to serve as ambassadors of Christ in dealing with humanity. In the homily of His Holiness before priests, seminarians, bishops and religious leaders at the Manila Cathedral on January 16, Pope Francis said they must act as ambassadors of Christ. His call transcends beyond spiritual dimension. It elevates the responsibilities of the priests, the bishops and the religious leaders toward promoting the well-being and spirituality of the faithful.
The new call does not just confer powers and ascendancy to the clergy, but rather exacts larger roles that they must perform toward the reconciliation of the omnipotence of God and the faithful.
His Holiness, the successor of Saint Peter, ushers in a message focusing on the plight of the poor, the marginalized and the powerless. He has called upon the leaders of the world to help the poor and the meek rise from the somber folds of despair and misery.
Pope Francis, as a Jesuit coming from Buenos Aires, Argentina, a region of Latin America which, like the Philippines, was also once a colony of Spain and is also mired by poverty, corruption and ignorance, is emphasizing Ignatian’s “poverty of the spirit,” which is a stance of submission to God’s will.
Even with the spiritual ascendancy of the bishops, the priests and the religious leaders as ambassador of Christ, the pope urges the clergy to work harder to attain economic democratization and justice for our less-fortunate brethren.
Let us all pray that institutions like the media would serve as instruments for the promotion of justice and equality that would stamp out corruption, deception, dynasty, electoral fraud and many other injustices.
Let us pray that the visit of the vicar of Christ would highlight concern for the deepening causes of poverty and ignorance.