PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said yesterday was “a profoundly sad day” as the world grieved the loss of Pope Francis.
“The Philippines joins the Catholic community worldwide in grieving the loss of His Holiness Pope Francis. A man of profound faith and humility, Pope Francis led not only with wisdom but with a heart open to all, especially the poor and the forgotten,” he said.
Marcos said that in getting the teachings of Church across, the pope lived by example and showed that to be a good Christian is to extend kindness and care to one another.
“His humility brought many back to the fold of the Church. As we mourn his passing, we honor a life that brought hope and compassion to so many, and inspired us to love one another as Christ loved us,” he added.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) yesterday joined the worldwide mourning.
“Please ring the bells of our churches and call our people to prayer for the eternal repose of the Holy Father Pope Francis,” said CBCP president Cardinal Pablo David.
Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jose Advincula described the pope as a “true father” of the Philippines.
“It is with profound grief that we received the news that our beloved Holy Father Pope Francis, our dear Lolo Kiko, has passed from this world to return to the house of the Father. Together with our universal Church and all persons of goodwill, we mourn his death,” said Advincula.
Former CBCP president Archbishop Socrates Villegas and other Filipino prelates remembered the visit of the Pontiff to the Philippines in 2015, and how his presence was etched in “national memory.”
“The images of his memorable visit to the Philippines are clear and vivid in our grateful hearts. In sunshine or under the rain, he made us feel the love of God. The rains and our tears of joy were mixed running down our cheeks. We knew that in him, Jesus was in our midst,” said Villegas.
Advincula said, “Under the rain in Tacloban, standing with the survivors of typhoon `Yolanda,’ Pope Francis showed us what it means to suffer with others and find hope in the midst of pain.”
‘PAPABILI’
Aside from the papal visit, Pope Francis had appointed several Filipino prelates to key Vatican posts, including Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle who is now pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization in the Roman Curia.
Tagle is among cardinals who are being talked about as “papabili” to succeed Pope Francis.
Tagle is often called the “Asian Francis” because of his similar commitment to social justice and if elected he would be the first pontiff from Asia.
On paper, Tagle, who generally prefers to be called by his nickname “Chito”, seems to have all the boxes ticked to qualify him to be a pope.
He has had decades of pastoral experience since his ordination to the priesthood in 1982. He then gained administrative experience, first as bishop of Imus and then as archbishop of Manila.
Pope Benedict made him a cardinal in 2012.
In a move seen by some as a strategy by Francis to give Tagle some Vatican experience, the pope in 2019 transferred him from Manila and appointed him head of the Church’s missionary arm, formally known as the Dicastery for Evangelization.
He comes from what some called “Asia’s Catholic lung,” because the Philippines has the region’s largest Catholic population. His mother was an ethnic Chinese Filipino. He speaks fluent Italian and English.
TACLOBAN VISIT
Speaker Martin Romualdez called Pope Francis a “beacon of compassion and humility whose presence brought healing and hope to millions around the world.”
“It is with a heavy heart that I join the world in mourning the passing of Pope Francis, whom we in Leyte—and across the Philippines—lovingly called Lolo Kiko,” he said. “To us, he was more than a Pope. He was a father, a friend, a guiding light in times of darkness. I will never forget how he came to Tacloban in the aftermath of typhoon Yolanda, when our people were suffering beyond words.”
“He braved the storm, stood with us in the rain, and spoke not just as a leader of the Church, but as someone who truly felt our pain. His presence alone gave us strength. His words reminded us that even in loss, we were not alone. That God had not abandoned us,” Romualdez added.
Senate President Francis Escudero said he joins the Catholic Church and the global community in mourning the death of Pope Francis.
“His tireless efforts to foster peace and inclusion reshaped the Church’s role in promoting unity across religious and cultural divides. As the first Latin American pontiff, Pope Francis championed the marginalized, bringing their voices to the forefront of his papacy and inspiring the world with his message of love and acceptance,” Escudero said.
He said the Pope’s visit to the country in 2015 “remains etched in our hearts” since it was during that time when the Holy See consoled with this affected by typhoon Yolanda.
Deputy minority leader Sen. Risa Hontiveros said she joins fellow Catholics and the whole world in “weeping over” the death of Pope Francis.
Sen. Grace Poe said Pope Francis will be remembered for “using his voice to spread love.”
Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri said, “My heart is heavy with grief for our beloved Lolo Kiko, our Pope Francis, whose papacy was marked by his extraordinary compassion and humility. He was truly Christ-like in his leadership of the Church, always prioritizing those who are most vulnerable among us – victims of poverty, illness, war, and injustice.” – With Raymond Africa and Reuters
