Security concerns

We seem to be reading a lot of comments and concerns from authorities as to how difficult it would be in securing Pope Francis when he visits the country for the first time on Jan. 15-19 of this year. No less than the acting chief of the Philippine National Police has said that securing the Pontiff is a lot more difficult than securing US President Barack Obama when the latter visited the country in April of 2014. While some may think that authorities may be overacting, the concerns are not without basis.

Through the centuries, the position of Supreme Leader of the Roman Catholic Church has been a dangerous one. Many popes, especially in the early years of Christianity, have been martyred for the faith they profess. Saint Peter, said to be the first Pope, was crucified upside-down. Many others have shared the same fate, others by even more violent means.

Some, on the other hand, were deliberately murdered for various reasons. Pope Benedict VI was strangled to death by another priest. The Holy Catholic Church is obviously not exempt from the poisons of politics. Many others, especially in the more modern age, were allegedly murdered although not proven. The more famous instance was the September 1978 death of Pope John Paul I, who was only thirty-three days into his Papacy. Many conspiracy theories surfaced as to suddenness of his death, coupled with several issues hounding the church at the time. It was even written into "The Godfather III" movie.

Then in 1981, an assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II occurred in the Vatican itself. He was shot and wounded by Mehmet Ali Agca, a Turkish assassin allegedly ordered by the Bulgarian Secret Police. But it is more commonly believed that the Soviet Union had a hand in the assassination attempt, because of the Pope's support for the Solidarity Movement in Poland. Agca still lives and is now free. He even laid flowers on the tomb of Pope John Paul II in December of 2014. As one can see, history has not been entirely kind to the popes.

Another concern is Pope Francis' habit of accommodating anyone. He willingly gets close to people, allows selfies, and generally mingles with everyone. This in itself is a security nightmare. So understandably, preparations are being made to secure the Holy Father while in the country. Thousands of police are being mobilized for his visit. All aspects of his trip are being carefully planned to keep him safe.

I can understand everyone's wish to be close to the Pope. We are, after all, still a predominantly Catholic country. And while everything is being done to make the Pope's visit as memorable to everyone as possible, especially to those who deserve it, we should also understand the people who are concerned for his security, and cooperate with them fully.