pope francis and ecclesial communion in the philippines...

132 The Teachings of Pope Francis

❚Special Issue❚The Teachings of Pope Francis

□ ISSN (Print) 1225-4924, ISSN (Online) 2508-3104 Catholic Theology and Thought in Asia, Vol. 81, July 2018 http://dx.doi.org/10.21731/ctat.2018.81.132

Pope Francis and Ecclesial Communion in the Philippines: Reality and Challenges*

1

Prof. Msgr. Sabino A. Vengco, Jr. 〔University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines〕

Ⅰ. What Pope Francis Said and Did A. Meeting with Civil Authorities and the Diplomatic Corps

B. Eucharist with Church Leaders C. Encounter with Families D. Holy Mass at the Tacloban Airport E. Encounter with the Youth at the University of Santo Tomas F. Concluding Eucharist at the Rizal Park

Ⅱ. What Has Happened and What Has Not Yet Happened A. The Phenomenal Impact and Reception B. The Awful Needs Which Still Remain

I. What Pope Francis Said and Did

On January 17, 2015, Pope Francis was in the Philippines and

celebrating the Eucharist at Tacloban City International Airport. He

had come to the city as an act of solidarity with the victims of the hor-

* This research paper is commissioned, supported, and originally published by the Foundation of Theology and Thought, 2018.

133 Sabino A. Vengco, Jr. / Pope Francis and Ecclesial Communion […]

rendous natural calamity, Typhoon Haiyan, also known as Super Ty-

phoon Yolanda in the Philippines. During his homily, the Pope devi-

ated from his prepared text and in impromptu remarks shared what he

termed “something personal” with the people present about how he

felt that day in Rome (November 7, 2013) when he watched the un-

folding disaster on TV: “I felt that I have to be here. That is when I

decided to come here. I wanted to come to be with you […] I came a

little late […] but here I am!”1 Returning to his prepared text, the

Pope spoke of the strongest storm being overcome by “the strongest

force in the universe: God’s love […] We are here […] to bear witness

to that love, to its power to transform death and destruction into life

and community.”2 The Holy Father came to the Philippines to express

fraternity and solidarity with the suffering people, to extend and con-

cretize ecclesial communion with the Filipino people.

A. Meeting with Civil Authorities and the Diplomatic Corps

In his opening address to the Filipino authorities and the diplomat-

ic corps at the Malacañang Presidential Palace in Manila early on the

first full day of his visit (January 16, 2015, Friday),3 Pope Francis

said that his visit is particularly “meant to express my closeness to our

brothers and sisters who endured the suffering, loss and devastation

1 Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, I am here […] to be with you: The Apostolic Visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines, Story by Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle, Makati: KATHA Publishing Co., Inc., 2015, p. 96. 2 Kadiwa sa Pagkapari Foundation, Inc., The Pastoral Visit of Pope Francis to the Phil-ippines, Quezon City, 2015, p. 10. 3 I am here […] to be with you, pp. 40-41, for the full text of the Pope’s address.


caused by Typhoon Yolanda.” He saluted the outpouring of goodness

and generosity from so many people who came to aid the victims of

the natural disaster, “creating networks of mutual help and working

for the common good.”

But, Pope Francis frankly pointed out, the admirable example of

solidarity in such work as rebuilding teaches us the need to have solid

foundations for our society, a challenge not only in the Philippines but

also in other countries. This solidarity means respect for authentic

human values and protection of our God-given human dignity and

rights ― perennial issues in Philippine politics. In the presence of

government officials, Pope Francis did not mince his words when he

said, “As many voices in your nation have pointed out, it is now, more

than ever, necessary that political leaders be outstanding for honesty,

integrity and commitment to the common good. In this way they will

help preserve the rich human and natural resources with which God

has blessed this country. Thus they will be able to marshal the moral

resources needed to face the demands of the present, and to pass on to

coming generations a society of authentic justice, solidarity and peace.”

Specifically, Pope Francis went on to zero in on our paramount

problems of poverty and social inequalities, the moral imperative of

ensuring social justice and respect for human dignity, essential to the

attainment of these national goals which, “enjoins on all peoples the

duty to hear the voice of the poor. It bids us break the bonds of injust-

ice and oppression which give rise to glaring, and indeed scandalous,

social inequalities. Reforming the social structures which perpetuate

poverty and the exclusion of the poor first requires a conversion of

mind and heart.” Pope Francis connected these initial words of his on


Philippine soil with the country’s preparatory program for the 500th

anniversary of the coming of Christianity to the land which is to be

held in 2021. According to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the

Philippines, 2015 (the second year of the nine-year novena leading to

2021) is the Year of the Poor, dedicated to committing the Catholic

Church in the Philippines to the vision of becoming truly a Church of

the Poor.4 Pope Francis concurred saying, “I hope that this prophetic

summons will challenge everyone, at all levels of society, to reject

every form of corruption which diverts resources from the poor. May

it also inspire concerted efforts to ensure the inclusion of every man

and woman and child in the life of the community.”

Apropos of the upcoming celebration of the fifth centenary of the

first proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ on our shores, Pope

Francis commented, “The Christian message has had an immense in-

fluence on Filipino culture. It is my hope that this important anniver-

sary will point to its continuing fruitfulness and its potential to inspire

a society worthy of the goodness, dignity and aspiration of the Filipino

people.” His words were addressed to Filipinos both domestically but

also internationally: that is, to the rich cultural and religious heritage

of Filipinos in the diaspora, including our millions of overseas Fili-

pino workers (OFWs), who make real contributions to the life and

welfare of the societies they live in. His prayerful challenge: “May the

deepest spiritual values of the Filipino people continue to find expres-

sion in your efforts to provide your fellow citizens with an integral

4 Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, Live Christ, Share Christ ― Pas-toral Exhortation on the Era of New Evangelization, 2012; cf. Acts and Decrees of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines, Manila, 1992, #122-136.


human development” ― and fruitful dialogue and cooperation with

the different indigenous peoples and religious minorities.

Highlighting the roles of the family and the youth in the renewal

of the nation, the Pope urged encouragement and assistance for the

families to be able to train their children in sound values, high ideals

and genuine concern for others, and thus “transmit to our young the

values and the vision which can help bring about a culture of integrity

― one which honors goodness, truthfulness, fidelity and solidarity as

the firm foundation and the moral glue which holds society together.”

The Holy Father warned that like all God’s gifts, the family can be

disfigured and destroyed. “We know how difficult it is for our democ-

racies today to preserve and defend such basic human values as re-

spect for the inviolable dignity of each human person, respect for the

rights of conscience and religious freedom, and respect for the inalien-

able right to life, beginning with that of the unborn and extending to

that of the elderly and infirm.”

B. Eucharist with Church Leaders

The above opening and programmatic words of the Holy Father to

civil authorities in Malacañang were reechoed and further developed

to Church leaders gathered in Manila’s Cathedral-Basilica of the Im-

maculate Conception later on that same morning.5 In his Holy Mass

with the bishops, priests and religious people, Pope Francis posed to

all in his homily the question of Jesus to Peter: “Do you love me?”

(John 21:15-17). He clarified, to the amusement of everyone, that it

5 I am here […] to be with you, pp. 54-55, for the full text of the Pope’s homily.


was not love for himself that he was asking about, but love for Jesus.

For “All pastoral ministry is born of love! […] Each of us is called […]

to be love in the heart of the Church. […] The love of Christ impels us

(2Corinthians 5:14). […] We proclaim the Good News of God’s infin-

ite love, mercy and compassion. […] The Gospel is the promise of

God’s grace, which alone can bring wholeness and healing to our

broken world.” Carrying on the work of love of past bishops, priests

and religious, Pope Francis made clear to his brethren, “Like them,

you are called to build bridges, to pasture Christ’s flock, and to pre-

pare fresh paths for the Gospel in Asia at the dawn of a new age.”

The coming commemoration of the evangelization of the Philip-

pines, Pope Francis reminded his listeners, must have at its core the

invitation to everyone to a renewed personal encounter with the Lord,

which was the primal call of the Holy Father to all Christians every-

where in his first Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (3), to re-

new a covenant with the Lord. And the Pope added that as we Fili-

pinos prepare for our fifth centenary of Christianization, we must

build on the solid foundation of our Filipino culture “shaped by the

imagination of the faith” and so known for its fervent piety and warm

devotion to Our Lady. “This great heritage contains a powerful mis-

sionary potential. It is the way in which your people has inculturated

the Gospel and continues to embrace its message.”

Then he returned again to his particular emphasis on conversion.

“But the Gospel is also a summons to conversion, to an examination

of our consciences, as individuals and as a people. As the Bishops of

the Philippines have rightly taught, the Church in the Philippines is

called to acknowledge and combat the causes of the deeply rooted


inequality and injustice which mar the face of Filipino society, plainly

contradicting the teaching of Christ. […] As ambassadors of Christ,

we, bishops, priests and religious, ought to be the first to welcome his

reconciling grace into our hearts. […] It means rejecting worldly per-

spectives and seeing all things anew in the light of Christ. It means be-

ing the first to examine our consciences, to acknowledge our failings

and sins, and to embrace the path of constant conversion, every day

conversion. How can we proclaim the newness and liberating power

of the Cross to others, if we ourselves refuse to allow the word of God

to shake our complacency, our fear of change, our petty compromises

with the ways of the world, our ‘spiritual worldliness’” ― the insidi-

ous “self-centeredness cloaked in an outward religiosity” that Pope

Francis graphically warned everybody against in Evangelii Gaudium

(93). To his Manila audience, the Pope insisted that conversion to the

newness of the Gospel means for all “living lives that reflect the pov-

erty of Christ, whose entire life was focused on doing the will of the

Father and serving others. […] Only by becoming poor ourselves by

stripping away our complacency, will we be able to identify with the

least of our brothers and sisters. We will see things in a new light and

thus respond with honesty and integrity to the challenge of proclaim-

ing the radicalism of the Gospel in a society which has grown com-

fortable with social exclusion, polarization and scandalous inequality.”

And the Pope made a special pitch to the young priests, religious

and seminarians among his listeners. To share with everyone the joy

and enthusiasm of their love for Christ and the Church, he asked them:

“Be present to young people who may be confused and despondent

[…] Be present to those who, living in the midst of a society burdened


by poverty and corruption, are broken in spirit, tempted to give up

[…].” And the Holy Father ended by asking Mary, Mother of the

Church, “to obtain for all of you an outpouring of zeal, so that you

may spend yourselves in selfless service to our brothers and sisters. In

this way, may the reconciling love of Christ penetrate ever more fully

into the fabric of Filipino society and, through you, to the farthest

reaches of the world. Amen.”

During the Mass at the sign of peace, Pope Francis himself per-

formed what he in his homily asked of everyone: to bring his “affec-

tion to all your elderly and infirm brothers and sisters.” The Pope

came down from the altar and approached the front rows at the church

nave, first to the left where he greeted elderly and infirm Sisters, then

he crossed over to us at the right side where he exchanged words with

elderly and infirm bishops and priests. The elderly priest I personally

wheeled into the Cathedral of Manila and positioned right in front of

the first pew got to experience the Pope’s kindly affection when the

Holy Father paused to wish him Christ’s peace, as the Pope did to me

and I in awed silence kissed his hands in the traditional Filipino way

of “mano po” to manifest respect to a beloved elder. I was suffused by

a surge of love and tenderness.

Immediately after that Mass at the Manila Cathedral, instead of

going at once for a private lunch and a little rest at the Nunciature,

Pope Francis proceeded on foot across the street and dropped into the

Tulay ng Kabataan (“Bridge of the Youth”), a shelter for street chil-

dren. There what he said in his homily about making oneself present

to those in need he himself demonstrated as he made himself present

and available to the excited street children who rushed to kiss his hand


and touch and hug him. The Pope commented to Cardinal Tagle that

one can feel how the children miss the touch of a parent, and the car-

dinal observed how the Pope’s eyes became cloudy with tears as he

listened to the children’s stories ― a pastor identifying with the

pains and the wounds of his homeless little sheep.6

C. Encounter with Families In the afternoon of the same day, Pope Francis proceeded to the

Arena of the Mall of Asia to have an encounter with some 50,000

people making up the families invited to the special gathering and rep-

resenting the various family movements of the local Church. Pope

Francis, while in Malacañang earlier in the day, had already made

mention of the indispensable role the family plays in the renewal of

society, and during the Mass at the Manila Cathedral he challenged his

young listeners to proclaim the beauty and truth of the Christian

message to the Filipino people besieged by confusing presentations of

sexuality, marriage and family ― vital realities increasingly under

attack by forces intent in disfiguring God’s plan for creation and in

betraying the very values that shaped all that is best in Filipino culture.

The Pope had clearly been looking forward to his encounter with

Filipino families in a Liturgy of the Word (Mt 21:13-15. 19-23).

Remembering his own family in his allocution, Pope Francis went

personal with his listeners and shared his own devotion to St. Joseph,

the husband of Mary.7 In his reflection on the gift of the family, the

6 Cf. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle’s story of the event, I am here […] to be with you, pp. 60-62. 7 I am here […] to be with you, pp. 72-73 for the full text of the Pope’s address to the


Holy Father stressed the need to rest and to dream like St. Joseph.

“Once a family loses the ability to dream, children do not grow, love

does not grow, life shrivels up and dies.” Like Joseph we are called to

make a home for Jesus! “You make a home for him in your hearts,

your families, your parishes and communities. To hear and accept

God’s call, to make a home for Jesus, you must be able to rest in the

Lord. […] To pray is to rest in the Lord.” It is so important to pray as

a family to stay as a family, where “we come to know God, to grow

into men and women of faith, to see ourselves as members of God’s

larger family, the Church. In the family we learn how to love, to for-

give, to be generous and open, not closed and selfish. We learn to go

beyond our own needs, to encounter others and share our lives with

them. […] That is why families are so important in God’s plan for the

Church!”

Resting with the Lord in prayer “like Saint Joseph, once we have

heard God’s voice, we must rise from our slumber; we must get up

and act” ― “God calls upon us to recognize the dangers threatening

our own families and to protect them from harm. […] in our families

we need to be very wise, very shrewd, very strong, in order to say ‘no’

to all attempts at an ideological colonization” out to destroy the family.

“Here in the Philippines, countless families are still suffering from the

effects of natural disasters. The economic situation has caused fam-

ilies to be separated by migration and the search for employment, and

financial problems strain many households. While all too many people

live in dire poverty, others are caught up in materialism and lifestyles

which are destructive of family life and the most basic demands of

families.


Christian morality. […] The family is also threatened by growing ef-

forts on the part of some to redefine the very institution of marriage,

by relativism, by the culture of the ephemeral, by lack of openness to

life.”

The Holy Father then reminded the families of their Christian duty

to be prophetic voices in the midst of their communities. “When fam-

ilies bring children into the world, train them in faith and sound values,

and teach them to contribute to society, they become a blessing in our

world.” Linking up again with the CBCP’s Year of the Poor and his

own visit in the morning to the home for children without families,

Pope Francis called upon his listeners, as missionary disciples of Jesus,

“to go beyond your homes and to care for our brothers and sisters who

are most in need. I ask you especially to show concern for those who

do not have a family of their own, in particular those who are elderly

and children. […] You may be poor yourselves in material ways, but

you have an abundance of gifts to offer when you offer Christ and the

community of the Church. Do not hide your faith, do not hide Jesus,

but carry him into the world and offer the witness of your family life.”

D. Holy Mass at the Tacloban Airport

On the second full day of the papal visit (January 17, 2015, Satur-

day), Pope Francis, fulfilling his wish to be with the victims of the

Typhoon Yolanda, finally arrived at the primary destination of his

pastoral visit, Tacloban City in the island of Leyte, ground zero of the

Yolanda catastrophe, the site of such grievous loss and destruction,

overwhelming grief and paralyzing fear over a year earlier. The


Pope’s closeness and solidarity with the people became visually dra-

matic and gripping when he celebrated Holy Mass. As Typhoon

Amang approached, he stood resolutely in the pouring rain amongst a

sea of people similarly clad in plastic yellow raincoats. A father brim-

ming with love and compassion for his children, a shepherd driven by

concern for his flock, and a people touched to the core by the loving

presence of their father and shepherd, cannot be held back by a mere

drenching rain and persistent winds. The Holy Father put aside his

prepared homily and spoke from his heart to the people who have

suffered so much.8

“So many of you have lost members of your family. I can only be

silent; I accompany you silently, with my heart.” In Jesus on the cross,

we have “a lord who is able to weep with us, who can be at our side

through life’s most difficult moments. […] Let us look to Christ: he is

the Lord, and he understands us, for he experienced all the troubles we

experience.” With Jesus, beneath the cross, is his Mother. “Let us look

to our Mother, and like that little child, let us reach out, cling to her

skirts and say to her in our hearts: ‘Mother’ […] We are not alone; we

have a Mother; we have Jesus […] and we also have many brothers

and sisters who, when disaster struck, came to our assistance. We too

feel more like brothers and sisters whenever we help one another […]

Forgive me if I have no other words […]. As brothers and sisters, let

us take up our journey. Thank you!”

And at the end of the Mass after Communion, Pope Francis con-

cluded: “Jesus has gone before us in this journey and he is with us

whenever we gather to pray and celebrate. Thank you, Lord, for being

8 I am here […] to be with you, pp. 96-97, for the impromptu homily of Pope Francis.


with us here today. Thank you, Lord, for sharing our sorrows […] for

giving us hope […] you left us a mother, your mother. Thank you,

Lord, for not leaving us orphans!”

In his prepared homily,9 Pope Francis said, “I bring you the love

of a father, the prayers of the entire Church, the promise that you are

not forgotten as you continue to rebuild. […] We know that the res-

urrection comes only after the cross, the cross which you have borne

with faith, dignity and God-given strength. We come together above

all to pray for those who died, those still missing and those who were

injured. […] There remains much sadness because of their absence.

For you who knew and loved them ― and love them still ― the

pain of losing them is real. […] But with the eyes of faith […] our

sadness is a seed which will one day bear fruit in the joy which our

Lord has promised. […]: ‘Blessed are you who mourn, for you will be

comforted’ (Mt 5:4). […] We have also come together […] to give

thanks to God for his help […] God’s com-passion, his suffering with

us, gives eternal meaning and value to our struggles. Your desire to

thank him for every grace and blessing, even when you have lost so

much, is not only a triumph of the resilience and strength of the

Filipino people; it is also a sign of God’s goodness, his closeness […].

You have seen the power of that love revealed in the generosity of so

many people and in so many small miracles of goodness. But you

have also seen, in the profiteering, looting and the failed responses to

this great human drama, so many tragic signs of the evil from which

Christ came to save us. Let us pray that this, too, will lead us to great-

9 Kadiwa sa Pagkapari Foundation, Inc., The Pastoral Visit of Pope Francis to the Phil- ippines, pp. 10-12 for the full text of the Pope’s prepared homily in Tacloban.


er trust in the power of God’s grace to overcome sin and selfishness

[…] in particular that it will make everyone more sensitive to the cry

of our brothers and sisters in need […] lead to a rejection of all forms

of injustice and corruption which, by stealing from the poor, poison

the very roots of society.” The Pope concluded that Mary, through

whose presence and loving care the people have felt in a special way

the grace of God throughout the ordeal, may “continue to implore

God’s mercy and loving compassion for this country, and for all the

beloved Filipino people. Amen.”

Archbishop John Du of Palo in his words of appreciation to the

Holy Father expressed profound gratitude for the papal visit, “Let our

unity then, on this blessed day […] be the supreme manifestation of a

faith that inspires one to thank God and to rejoice even amidst trials

and tribulations. […] We know that you have been with us all this

time, and your coming here culminates the great outpouring of spirit-

ual and material assistance from the Church for us. […] You have

come to us with a father’s compassion and loving concern, and thus

have brought us to God the Father of All. You have also come as a

shepherd of the Lord’s flock and thus have brought us closer to the

Good Shepherd himself. Your visit strengthens and consoles us

[…].”10

Cardinal Tagle shared that after the Mass and in the journey to the

Archbishop’s house for lunch and an intimate meeting with some vic-

tims and survivors, the Pope refused to ride in a closed vehicle as

protection against the rain. “Ah, no, no, no, no! This is the reason why

I am here, to show solidarity. If people had waited and had sacrificed

10 I am here […] to be with you, p. 94.


[…] through the winds and the rain, then why should the pastor not be

with them?”11 And at the Archbishop’s residence, even as the sched-

uled lunch and personal meeting with some thirty survivors and vic-

tims of Yolanda and of the October 2014 earthquake in Bohol were

reduced from one hour to fifteen minutes, the Holy Father still atten-

tively listened to their accounts of grief and pains, although he could

only respond with muted “Oh, oh, oh” ― wordless sounds of pain

and compassion. The Pope apologized that he had to leave early be-

cause of the typhoon that had made landfall. One of the survivors

spoke up, “We understand. Your being here is more than enough.

All we ask now is that you pray for our loved ones who are no longer

with us.” And the Pope’s reply: “As soon as I heard in Rome about the

tragedy that had befallen you, I prayed and offered a Mass for all who

had suffered and died. And the Mass at the Luneta tomorrow, I assure

you, will be for all of your departed family members.”

Quickly, the Holy Father next blessed the nearby Pope Francis

Center for the Poor, where the sick, the elderly and the poor will be

cared for. Next in the program was the planned meeting with priests,

religious people, and families of survivors at Palo’s Cathedral of the

Transfiguration of the Lord, but the scheduled Liturgy of the Word

was reformatted to a simple blessing of the people from the door, to

enable the Pope to fly out of the area before the approaching typhoon

hit. But when he saw the people waiting for him in the cathedral, he

went up to the altar nonetheless and spoke to them a few words.12

11 I am here […] to be with you, p. 98. 12 For the text of the Pope’s intended address at the Palo cathedral, cf. Kadiwa sa Pagkapari Foundation, Inc., The Pastoral Visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines, pp. 13-14.


He wanted to tell them: “Many of you have suffered greatly, not only

from the destruction caused by the storm, but from the loss of family

members and friends. Today let us commend to God’s mercy all those

who have died, and invoke his consolation and peace upon all who

still grieve. May we remember in a particular way those among us

whose pain makes it hard to see the way forward.” Pope Francis spe-

cially thanked “all those who have labored […] to clear away the

rubble, to visit the sick and dying, to comfort the grieving and to bury

the dead. Their goodness, and the generous aid which came from so

many people throughout the world, area real sign that God never

abandons us!” And the Pope thanked in particular the many priests

and religious whose presence and charity “bore witness to the beauty

and truth of the Gospel […] made the Church present as a source of

hope, healing and mercy.” The many stories of goodness and self-sac-

rifice amid disaster and suffering “need to be remembered and passed

down for future generations.”

Mentioning his previous blessing of the new Center for the Poor,

Pope Francis emphatically said, “I ask that even more be done for the

poor. Above all, I ask that the poor throughout the country be treated

fairly ― that their dignity be respected, that political and economic

policies be just and inclusive, that opportunities for employment and

education be developed, and that obstacles to the delivery of social

services be removed. Our treatment of the poor is the criterion on

which each of us will judged” (cf. Mt. 25:40. 45). And focusing on the

young people, the Pope voiced his hope that they “always realize that

true happiness comes from helping others, giving ourselves to them in

self-sacrifice, mercy and compassion. In this way you will be a power-


ful force for the renewal of society, not only in the work of restoring

buildings but more importantly, in building up God’s kingdom of holi-

ness, justice and peace in your native land.” Commending all to the

loving protection of Mary, Mother of the Church, Pope Francis prayed

for all gathered in the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Lord that

“our lives continue to be sustained and transfigured by the power of

the resurrection.”

E. Encounter with the Youth at the University of Santo Tomas

In the morning of the last full day of his visit (January 18, 2015,

Sunday), Pope Francis, as he entered the campus of the University of

Santo Tomas, held a brief scheduled meeting with ten representatives

of different Christian communities and non-Christian religions which

took place at the Arch of the Centuries. A Hindu leader, during the ex-

change of greetings and well-wishes, gave the Pope a woolen shawl

― a sign of great respect.

Before the excited young people jam-packed into the sports field

of the university, Pope Francis was moved to speak spontaneously.

First of all, he wanted to share with them the sad news of the fatal

accident that happened the day before at the airport of Tacloban as the

Holy Mass was about to begin. The strong winds brought down scaf-

folding and a sound box fell on and killed Kristel Mae Padasas, a 27-

year-old volunteer and an only child, whose mother was working

overseas in Hong Kong (The Holy Father wanted to meet the bereaved

parents. And the Pope did meet the father later the same day at the


Nunciature after the visit to UST, to hear from him the question:

“Why is she taken away from me?”13 But the father would go on to

say, “I am resigned to the fact that my daughter is no longer with me.

I rejoice that she died serving other people, especially serving this

visit of the Holy Father. It’s a meaningful death; it is not just a loss of

life. […] Because of her death I am here in front of the Holy Father,

before you. My daughter probably arranged this in heaven.” Pope

Francis could only exclaim, “What faith! What deep faith!”). The

Pope led the crowds in a moment of silence to pray for Kristel, then in

the recitation of the Ave Maria. He next prayed the Our Father for her

mother and father.

The Pope told the young people before him that during his visit to

the Philippines he had wanted “in a particular way to meet with young

people, to listen to you and to talk with you. I want to express the love

and hope of the Church for you. And I want to encourage you […] to

offer yourselves passionately and honestly to the great work of renew-

ing your society and helping build a better world.”14 Then the Holy

Father responded extemporaneously to the four youth who had earlier

offered him words of welcome and gave testimonies.

Pope Francis turned his attention first to the moving testimony of

Clyzelle Palomar, a teenage girl who burst into tears as she asked the

Pope: “There are many children neglected by their own parents. There

are also many who became victims and many terrible things happened

to them, like drugs and prostitution. Why is God allowing such things

13 Cardinal Tagle’s account of that private meeting with Pope Francis, I am here […] to be with you, pp. 128-129. 14 For the text of the Pope’s address to the youth, cf. I am here […] to be with you, pp. 120-123.


to happen, even if it is not the fault of the children? And why are there

only a few people helping us?” Pope Francis pointed out to her and

said, “She today asked the one question […]. She had to say it with

tears.” First, Pope Francis got a tension-releasing applause when he

noted that the little girl (the only one in the company of three young

men) was “the small representation of women” among the youth who

gave testimonies. “Too small! Women have much to say to us in

today’s society. […] Women can ask questions that we men just don’t

get. […] So, when the next Pope comes to Manila, there should be

more women.” Then in all earnestness the Pope said, “Only when we

are able to weep over the things that you experienced, can we under-

stand and give some kind of response. […] Certain realities of life are

seen only with eyes that are cleansed by tears. […] Let us learn to

weep, the way Glyzelle taught us today. […] She asked the big ques-

tion ― why do children suffer? ― by weeping; and the big answer

which we can give, all of us, is to learn how to weep. In the Gospel,

Jesus wept […] for his dear friend […] for the family that lost its

daughter […] (for) the poor widowed mother who was burying her

son. He was moved and he wept in his heart when he saw the crowds

like sheep without a shepherd. If you don’t learn how to weep, you are

not a good Christian. […] Why does this or that tragedy occur in life?

Let us respond either by silence or with a word born of tears. Be brave.

Don’t be afraid to cry!”

To Leandro Santos’ query about information and technology, the

Pope said it is good that we are informed, but we run the risk of infor-

mation overload. We should not be “storehouses” or “museums” of

information we do not know what to do with. What is important to


learn in life is how to be wise, and that is when your information bears

fruit through love. How to harmonize the mind, the heart, and the

hands ― thinking, feeling and acting in a harmonious way: “your

information descends to the heart, moves it and gets translated into ac-

tion.” To be wise is to love and to let oneself to be loved. “True love is

being open to that love which was there first and catches us by sur-

prise. If all you have is information, you are closed to surprises. […]

Let us allow ourselves to be surprised by God” ― as St. Matthew

was surprised into conversion by the unexpected love of Jesus.

To Rikki with all his activities and what he and his friend are all

doing in helping other people, what is still lacking? Jesus looked at the

young man and loved him and said, “One thing is lacking.” Pope

Francis asked the generous young men: Have you learned to beg from

those to whom you give? “The persons we help, the poor, the sick, the

orphans, have much to give us. […] Do you let yourself be evangel-

ized by the poor […] by those you assist?”

At the end of his impromptu speech, Pope Francis referred to his

prepared speech where he had three key areas where the youth have a

significant contribution to make to the life of the country.15 First is

the challenge of integrity: “a summons to bear prophetic witness to

what you believe and hold sacred […] something you have to face

now […] not something you can put off until you are older or have

greater responsibilities.” Second is concern for the environment: “not

only because this country, more than many others, is likely to be

seriously affected by climate change. You are called to care for cre-

15 For the text of the prepared speech of Pope Francis at UST, cf. Kadiwa sa Pagkapari Foundation, Inc., The Pastoral Visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines, pp. 18-20.


ation not only as responsible citizens, but as followers of Christ! […]

Be concerned about what is happening to your beautiful land!” Third

is care for the poor: “there is always someone near us who is in need,

materially, emotionally, spiritually. The greatest gift we can give them

is our friendship, our concern, our tenderness, our love for Jesus.”

Here the Holy Father said a special word of encouragement and grati-

tude to those who “choose to follow our Lord in his poverty through a

vocation to the priesthood and the religious life.”

F. Concluding Eucharist at the Rizal Park The concluding act of Pope Francis’ pastoral visit to the Philip-

pines was to preside at the late afternoon celebration of the Eucharist

in the Rizal Park, Manila (January 18, 2015, Sunday). It was the Feast

of Santo Niño. Our Holy Father, recalling that this image of the Holy

Child accompanied the spread of the Gospel in the Philippines from

the beginning, said in his homily that the Santo Niño “reminds us of

our deepest identity. All of us are God’s children, members of God’s

family.”16 It is in Christ that we have become God’s adopted children

and blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavens (Eph 1:3).

Being the foremost Catholic country in Asia is the Philippines’ special

gift of God, “but it is also a vocation. Filipinos are called to be out-

standing missionaries of the faith in Asia.” God chose each of us “to

be witnesses of his truth and justice in this world. […] Sometimes,

when we see the troubles, difficulties and wrongs all around us, we are

16 For the Pope’s homily at the Rizal Park, cf. I am here […] to be with you, pp. 142-143.


tempted to give up […]. We forget to remain focused on the things

that really matter. We forget to remain, at heart, children of God. That

is sin: forget, at heart, that we are children of God. […] The Santo

Niño also reminds us that this identity must be protected. The Christ

Child is the protector of this great country. […] We too need to pro-

tect, guide and encourage our young people, helping them to build a

society worthy of their great spiritual and cultural heritage. […] It was

frail child, in need of protection, who brought God’s goodness, mercy

and justice into the world. […] Now, at the end of my visit to the Phil-

ippines, I commend you to him, to Jesus who came among us as a

child. May he enable all the beloved people of this country to work to-

gether, protecting one another, beginning with your families and com-

munities, in building a world of justice, integrity and peace. May the

Santo Niño continue to bless the Philippines and to sustain the Chris-

tians of this great nation in their vocation to be witnesses and mission-

aries of the joy of the Gospel, in Asia and in the whole world.”

Before the final blessing, there was a candle lighting and mission

sending. The words of Pope Francis: “My dear brothers and sisters,

we received this light in baptism and were entrusted to keep this light

burning brightly. We vowed to spread this light when we were con-

firmed. I ask you now: Keep the flame of faith alive in your hearts.

Walk always as children of light. This is the mission of every Chris-

tian: lumina pandit, to spread the light and tell the world of God’s

love.” And with his right hand holding his own lighted candle, Pope

Francis blessed everyone.


II. What Has Happened and What Has Not Yet Happened

A. The Phenomenal Impact and Reception

The 2015 pastoral visit was a concretization of the Pope’s own

chosen leitmotif of mercy and compassion. It was not a passing topic

among others, but the essence of the Gospel and the key to his Petrine

ministry and life. The papal motto: Miserando atque eligendo speaks

of the Pope’s own encounter with the Lord whose mercy and compas-

sion transformed him and now has become his mission to spread like a

revolution to the whole Church and to the entire world ― a world of

mercy without borders. Compassion and mercy were what the Filipino

people were treated to during the five days of his presence in our

country. Indeed, it was this overpowering surge of mercy and compas-

sion that I myself personally experienced when the Holy Father un-

expectedly came down from the sanctuary during the Mass at the Ma-

nila Cathedral and individually greeted the elderly and the sick at the

front rows with the sign of peace.17 As I have mentioned earlier, after

Pope Francis had greeted the infirm priest in wheelchair I was looking

after, the Holy Father next took my hands and smiling at me wished

me the love and the peace of the Lamb who died for us all. A flood of

love and solidarity filled me, and in awed silence I savored the mys-

tery of being in communion with the Pope whose hands I reverently

kissed. I simply felt being Church.

17 Fr. Catalino Arevalo, S.J., described his own experience of the same incident in I am here […] to be with you, pp. 10-11.


This sensation of oneness as mediated by the Vicar of Christ in his

simplicity and total presence and availability to the people was some-

thing millions of Filipinos experienced during the joyous five days of

the papal visit. To meet the Pope was to encounter grace, a sanctifying

experience that brings one to tears, said a veteran journalist.18 A gov-

ernment cabinet member recalled, the Holy Father “[…] asked for a

simple vehicle; no bullet-proofed barrier shielded him from attack or

danger. He wanted to be seen, even touched. He wanted to engage, not

evade. Most especially, he wanted to greet, embrace, and carry many

children. […] it was his informal interaction ― not the formal pro-

gram ― that created the more memorable moments.”19

He came to us as our father and our shepherd; we saw him, heard

him, felt him, and tasted him as our father and shepherd, and we were

moved and blessed, happy and privileged. He came to us obviously

with the heart and mind of a pastor, and we welcomed and received

him and loved him back as our pastor. People waited for many hours

both at all the venues of his official activities and also along the roads

where he would be passing by, to catch a glimpse of the Pope waving

and blessing and smiling at them, and to listen to him and to experi-

ence him. At the sight of the Holy Father, people were jumping with

excitement, wildly cheering and calling his name, shouting for joy,

and also praying intently, even as parents with little children lift them

up to him as if begging for his blessing on their precious ones and on

their future. This intense religious phenomenon seemed to be the con-

18 Lito Zulueta’s account of his and other Filipino media-men’s experience of Pope Francis aboard the papal plane, I am here […] to be with you, pp. 28-32. 19 Sonny Coloma, “Papa Francisco Mahal ng Filipino,” in I am here […] to be with you, p. 36.


vergence of the people’s hunger for the transcendental and the spirit-

ual, and an answer to it in the person and presence of the Holy Father.

It was all a clear manifestation of the people’s simple faith and plain

goodness.

Returning to Manila from Tacloban, harried away by a typhoon,

Pope Francis replied to Cardinal Tagle’s question if the Pope was

afraid because of the typhoon: “But this typhoon was really for me.

For me to see, to experience what the people go through during a ty-

phoon.” And back in the Nunciature that evening, the Pope “spoke re-

peatedly of how he was inspired by the enthusiasm, the youthfulness,

and the faith of the people ― in spite of the suffering that they had

endured, suffering that could break the faith of mere mortals. How

could it still be possible that their faith remains strong? This can only

be the action of God.”20 That same amazement and spiritual aware-

ness was his response to the faith and enthusiasm demonstrated by the

crowds wherever he went, by families at the Mall of Asia Arena, by

the fortitude and perseverance of the multitudes in raincoats at the

airport of Tacloban stoically ignoring the howling winds and drench-

ing rain, by the youth at UST, and by the record millions at the Rizal

Park. Pope Francis’ pastoral visit with the Filipino people was also an

educational, evangelizing experience for the Holy Father. As Cardinal

Tagle, looking back, himself in wonderment how we as a Church of

simple, suffering people could be a teacher to the whole world and to

the Pope, reflected: “We witness through the simplicity of our faith

― the faith that makes us hopeful, the faith that makes us resilient,

the faith that may be lacking in some intellectual expressions that

20 I am here […] to be with you, p. 101.


might be the measure in some parts of the world. This simplicity has

not just touched, but really taught the Pope and many people.”21

Pope Francis at the very start of his visit, after seeing the huge

crowds of people lining both sides of the roads from the airport to the

Nunciature welcoming him and shouting his name, reflected aloud to

Cardinal Tagle: “St. Ignatius of Loyola said, only God can touch the

human heart directly, even without intermediaries […]. Those millions

of people, simple people ― it surely must have been God touching

their hearts for them to have come out with such enthusiasm. Not you

or me. Only God can touch them.”22

At the end of the pastoral visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines,

Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan, then CBCP presi-

dent, in thanking Pope Francis at the concluding Eucharist in the Rizal

Park summarized the response of the Filipino people to the surge of

love that has been Pope Francis: “Since you came, it has been always

a sunrise of smiles for us Filipinos. You have brought us joy. You

have brought us hope. You have brought us warmth. You have

brought us Jesus. […] You are our father. You are our brother. You

are our friend. You are our inspiration. You are our sunshine! Pope

Francis we love you!”23

B. The Awful Needs Which Still Remain

A visit ends, a sunshine fades, a surge subsides, and an encounter

becomes a memory stored away. That is why it is imperative that the

21 I am here […] to be with you, p. 149. 22 I am here […] to be with you, p. 21. 23 I am here […] to be with you, p. 44.


Filipino reception of Pope Francis in his pastoral visit to the Philip-

pines three years ago be revisited in order to recover what we might

have missed in the excitement of those historic days. A religious event

of this magnitude has some inner dynamics of its own that we must

not allow to be carried away by the receding tides, or, as the case may

be, shoved aside by the more gripping and enjoyable festival mode.

1. Pope Francis visited the Philippines as a father and a shepherd,

a teacher of our faith. His words chosen and picked, however seem-

ingly extemporaneous, come from his heart shaped by his own en-

counter with God and defined by his faith, and particularly intended

for his Filipino brothers and sisters, God’s flock in our country.

What did he say? What did he mean? It has been suggested that after

the visit we should reflect on the profound meaning this important

event for the Filipino people. There seemed to have been no commu-

nal follow-up on that proposal; it remained an option only for a few

individuals to pursue, as it actually turned out. A community-based

nation-wide catechesis, with mass media distribution, on the homilies

and addresses by the Pope during his visit could have been a practical

“symposium” of a sort which trickled down to the people the words

and actions of the Holy Father for their deeper appreciation, instruct-

ion and edification.

2. Some particular points made by Pope Francis definitely de-

served more careful consideration and serious application. His chal-

lenge at UST to the youth of the land to be involved with environ-

mental concern in terms of their own and the country’s future rests on


the undeniable connection between climate change and the increasing

incidence of destructive super-typhoons like Yolanda. More than

many other countries, our country is seriously affected by climate

change, warned Pope Francis. The Holy Father is so serious about our

responsibility for the earth, that a couple of months after his visit to us,

he issued his Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ on care for our one and

only common home.

3. Calling for action, too, is the Pope’s challenge to care for the

poor. Social justice and respect for human dignity and inclusive pro-

gress enjoin on us the duty to break the bonds of oppression and in-

justice that spawn scandalous, social inequalities, as Pope Francis

openly told civil authorities in Malacañang. In a society like ours, so

much burdened and marred by poverty, Christians are called to ac-

knowledge and combat the causes of deeply rooted inequality and

injustice, the Holy Father reminded the bishops, priests and religious

with him for the Eucharist at the Manila Cathedral, singling out the

need for everyone to be shaken out of complacency. So much still

must be done. Our vision of becoming a Church of the Poor triggered

by the Second Vatican Council still appears all these years later to be

illusionary and ephemeral. Our “Year of the Poor,” coinciding with

the papal visit, seemed almost like mere lip-service to an ideal.

4. The fundamental challenge of Pope Francis for all, the author-

ities, the Church leaders, and the youth alike, is that of integrity. The

Pope reminded us again and again, it is imperative more than ever for

the Philippines that those in authority have honesty and commitment


for the common good; for Christian communities to create “circles of

integrity,” networks of solidarity to transform society by their proph-

etic witness; for the youth the courage to learn to act with honesty and

fairness, true to what you believe and hold sacred. We must have

integrity if we are to have a better society, to have equality and justice,

to really have mercy and compassion for the poor, and to win against

corruption.

5. All these things call for conversion. To build a modern society

with solid foundations, we must draw from our deepest resources of

authentic human values, Pope Francis pointed out to civil authorities.

There is need to reject worldly perspectives and spiritual worldliness,

to examine our consciences, to acknowledge our failings and sins, to

embrace the path of constant conversion, he told his brethren in the

cathedral. One must be on guard against ideological colonization, to

be true to the mission of the family, he encouraged the people at the

arena. This conversion and renewed encounter with the Lord must be

at the core of the upcoming 500th anniversary celebration of the Chris-

tianization of the Philippines.

6. To go through rebirth and conversion, there is a need without al-

ternative for grieving. In the Filipino’s drive to rebound from pains

and loss, we tend to gloss over our grief and suffering and immedi-

ately go to the motions of affirmation and declarations of hope, to our

celebration of wishful ideals. There is need, and it is part of faith, to

let sink in and accept in honesty the enormity of our loss, deaths, pains,

failures, sinfulness, compromises and infidelities, in sorrow. We need


to remain in silence and lamentation before we can really begin to

recoup and move on and have a new life.24 This healing grieving and

mourning is actually a vital component of Pope Francis’ pastoral visit

to the Philippines as indicated by his emphasis on the necessity to

learn to weep, not only before the crying young girl in UST but above

all in Tacloban, where he told us of Jesus who is able to weep with us,

and of our sadness as a seed to bear fruit in the joy of the Lord. Pope

Francis came basically to grieve with us, so that we can move on into

a new tomorrow, into a renewed Church of mercy and compassion ―

through a re-energized on-going conversion.

7. Refreshing was the encouragement Pope Francis gave us re-

garding our distinctive Filipino culture, shaped by the imagination of

the faith and known for its fervent Marian piety. This great heritage,

he said, has a powerful missionary potential, and we should for our

fifth centenary build on this solid foundation. This Filipino incultur-

ation of the Gospel is an ongoing and developing process by which in

the power of the Holy Spirit we continuously evangelize ourselves.

8. Last, but by no means least, is Pope Francis’ particular attention

on the youth and the family. Their indispensable role in society and

for the future is indisputable. What I believe the Holy Father wanted

to drive at in his consistent focus on the family and the young is the

critical situation of the Catholic faith in our country due to the awful

shortage of priests, about which he surely is well informed. Without

24 Gerald A. Arbuckle, The Francis Factor and the People of God: New Life for the Church, NY: Orbis Books, 2015.


causing undue alarm, he wished to unleash a surge or a wave of love

for the families to be the spring of vocations to the priesthood, fam-

ilies where there is dreaming aplenty about God’s love for all and the

prophetic calling, families where the children are brought up con-

scious of a special role in preparing for the coming of God’s kingdom

in our world, and where members are ready to go beyond their homes

and to care for their brothers and sisters in need.

The some 9,000 priests, diocesan and religious, we now have in

the whole Philippines are paltry when seen in the light of the 82 mil-

lion Catholics to be shepherded; our 3486 “pastoral centers” (parishes,

quasi-parishes and missions, where priests shepherd the faithful) are

too big to be able to provide the community life and fellowship neces-

sary in support of the families for the development of Christian life

and vocation. The average number of 24,000 Catholics per parish is

just too large to give everyone a life of communion in the faith.25

Pope Francis reminded us of Jesus weeping because of the crowds

being like sheep without a shepherd. The Church in the Philippines

needs to grieve over the estimated 70% of the baptized who are un-

churched, or nominal about their faith, principally because, due to the

lack of priests, they could not be attended to and cared for spiritually.

And their lack of faith formation and shepherding in turn causes lack

25 In comparison, the Archdiocese of Seoul has 1.5 million Catholics and 412 parishes and missions in all, which translates into an average of 3,600 Catholics per parish com-munity. Also, Seoul has more than 908 priests ― diocesan and religious ― for its 1.5 million Catholics. In the Philippines, for example, the Archdiocese of Cebu has 3.7 mil-lion Catholics, 691 priests and 157 pastoral centers, averaging 24,000 Catholics per par-ish community.


of vocations ― a vicious circle, says the Second Plenary Council of

the Philippines.26

The Church in the Philippines has been blessed by the pastoral

visit of Pope Francis three years ago. We have responded with love to

the surge of love he unleashed during those short five days. He opened

his heart to us, and we gave him our hearts, as we prayed and cele-

brated together our ecclesial communion of faith and hope, love and

mercy. But, we Filipinos amidst our many pains and problems and

without entering into any disputes on points of doctrine, need to go

deeper into the full import of his fatherly words to us during his pas-

toral visit. Only when we have taken into full consideration his teach-

ings to us on those days in reference to our particular ecclesial and

socio-cultural contexts, can we really say we have given him our

proper reception. Our evangelizing encounter with Pope Francis must

still go on; we need inspiration and guidance from the Holy Father.

26 CBCP, Acts and Decrees of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines, #3.


Bibliography

Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, I am here […] to be with you: The Apostolic Visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines, Story by Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle, Makati: KATHA Publishing Co., Inc., 2015.

Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, Live Christ, Share Christ: Pastoral Exhortation on the Era of New Evangelization, 2012.

Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, Acts and Decrees of the Sec-ond Plenary Council of the Philippines, Manila, 1992.

Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, Apostolic Exhortation on the Proclamation of the Gospel in Today’s World, 2013.

Pope Francis, Laudato Si’: Encyclical Letter on Care for our Common Home, 2015.

Arbuckle, Gerald A., The Francis Factor and the People of God: New Life for

the Church, New York: Orbis Books, 2015. Kadiwa sa Pagkapari Foundation, Inc., The Pastoral Visit of Pope Francis to

the Philippines, Quezon City, 2015. Picardal, Amado L., CSsR, “Pope Francis and the Church of the Poor,” and

“Why is Pope Francis Here?,” in Journeying Towards a New Way of Be-ing Church: Basic Ecclesial Communities in the Philippines, Quezon City: Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc., 2016. pp. 347-349. 351-354.

Received: 6 April 2018 Reviewed and Edited: 2 June 2018 Finalized for Publication: 28 June 2018


❚Abstract❚

□

This paper reviews the historical circumstances of Pope Francis’

pastoral visit to the Philippines in 2015 and the specific papal mes-

sages he purposely gave to different sectors of the Philippine society

and to the distinct groups in the Catholic Church. The people were

profuse with warm affection for the Holy Father who personified to

them an experience of ecclesial communion amidst suffering and pov-

erty. But the attention accorded the words and teachings of Pope

Francis was not commensurate and did not receive the necessary fol-

low-up in any form of ecclesial reflection and assimilation. The initial

evangelizing momentum has faded away, and the precious admon-

itions and reminders of the Holy Father to his particular flock within

the dynamics of Gospel conversion are still waiting for the appropriate

reception as the needed resonance to Christ’s own call.

▶ Key Words: Pope Francis, Filipino Catholics, Ecclesial Communion, Conversion, Social Transformation.


❚국문 초록❚

□

교황 프란치스코와 필리핀 교회 공동체

― 현실과 도전들 ―

사비노 A. 벵코 몬시뇰

〔필리핀 산토 토마스 대학교 교수〕

본고는 2015년 프란치스코 교황의 필리핀 방문의 역사적 상황과

교황이 필리핀 사회의 여러 분야와 가톨릭 교회의 개별 단체들에 특

별히 전한 메시지를 되돌아본다. 국민들은 고통과 가난 속에서 교회

적 친교의 경험을 몸소 실천한 교황에게 따뜻한 애정을 가득 보여 주

었다. 그러나 프란치스코 교황의 말과 행동에 대한 관심은 충분하지

못하였고, 이에 대한 교회적 성찰과 동화에 있어서 어떠한 형태로도

필요한 후속 조치가 이루어지지 않았다. 초기의 복음화에 대한 동력

은 사라졌고, 복음적 전환의 역동성 안에 있는 특정한 집단에 대한

교황의 소중한 책망과 상기는 여전히 그리스도의 부르심에 필요한 울

림으로서 적절한 수용을 기다리고 있다.

▶ 주제어: 교황 프란치스코, 필리핀 가톨릭 신자들, 교회적 친교, 전환, 사회적 변환.

pope francis and ecclesial communion in the philippines...

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