Salamat! Pope Francis

Cardinal Tagle’s speech at the Manila Cathedral last Friday was “the speech” that truly welcomed the Pope to our country. His message was clear and straightforward. It was short but informative. It introduced the Pope to the Filipino people. It was warm and indeed full of compassion, one coming straight from the heart. It made us proud to be Filipinos.

When the Cardinal said, “Our melodies make our spirits soar above the tragedies of life. Our faith makes us stand up again and again after deadly fires, earthquakes, typhoons and wars. And now, as many of our poor people are just beginning to rise from recent natural and human-made calamities, you, Holy Father came to us. You bring fire, not to destroy but to purify. You bring an earthquake, not to shatter but to awaken. You bring weapons, not to kill but to assure. Indeed, “you are Peter, the Rock upon which Jesus builds His Church” (Matthew 16:18). You are Peter who comes “to strengthen your brothers and sisters in faith” (Luke 22:32). We welcome you, successor of Peter, to this blessed land of untiring hope, of infinite music and of joyful faith. With your visit we know Jesus will renew and rebuild His Church in the Philippines” – we felt good, very good! We were jubilant!

The Cardinal’s speech brought sunshine and a ray of hope into my heart. It was so touching, so true, and so inspiring. Everyone watching it listened to every word and didn’t want it to end. It was about us, our resilience, our faith and our music. He drew out the best in every Pinoy, cheering (ra-ra-ra) to high heavens after all we’ve been through. He made the Pope understand our culture, our character and our spirit. And after all the political protocols, it was timely that the Cardinal had spoken. It was evident that the Pope had finally warmed up to us. Thank you once again! Cardinal Tagle.

From the moment the Pope landed, many Filipinos were overjoyed, ecstatic, euphoric, delighted, and elated beyond words.  It felt like our “papa” had finally arrived, after being orphaned for a long time. And like a father, as he mentioned in his speech in Tacloban, the moment he saw the aftermath of Yolanda he wanted to fly to the Philippines right away to be with us. Our longing for a ‘father-figure’, someone to look up to and listen to is so evident in each of us. We finally got it.

Our thirst for Jesus’ spirit is so strong. We can’t seem to get enough of it. I’m glad the Pope spent time with all the clergy who needs his guidance. He gave them a boost to be good spiritual leaders. He reactivated their wits, energized their spirits and encouraged them to become better. I hope they understood his message. I hope they live up to his call. I hope the clergy teaches us the way, the truth and the light. It’s time to set the stage and clarify all the rules of the Church (including the use of cellphones and IPads during mass). I’m pretty sure we are ready to go through the “Path of Conversion.”

The presence of Pope Francis is indescribable. What he gave this nation is something only God can give. He really gave a big boost to our forlorn spirits. His lovely smile and charm touched our hearts. He wasn’t just a figure of the Catholic Church, he showed us the ‘Way.’ He was a ‘hands-on’ Pope. He knew what he wanted. It was quite obvious. We must emulate his actions and echo his words to everyone we meet. His message is loud and clear and I just love it.

As my friend, Tony Belzune said: “The Pope knows all our troubles in this land. In his speeches he reiterates issues we must address. He is very much aware of the corruption in government, the discrimination in our society where the poor is neglected due to extreme greed for money and material things of those in power, the dysfunctional family unit and the bad influences controlling our communities. I think the Pope without insulting anyone worded his messages tactfully. He made clear to us what Christians should be. His words come from the heart not like the ones we often hear from our leaders done with pretentious efforts of faith for personal convenience. It is this that causes neglect to our Christian values in addressing and caring for the plight of the poor.”

It is a very rare occasion that a Pope flies all the way across the ocean to reach our shores. The last time we had a Papal visit was in 1995, quite a long time ago. Indeed, you have conquered our spirits and our hearts with love and affection Pope Francis.

What an amiable Pope you are. You have shown us genuine humility, integrity, and service. You have blessed this nation and its people and left us with renewed hope, faith and love.

True to the name you chose, Francis after St. Francis of Assisi, you have begun that great mission of restoring the Catholic faith by rebuilding the church in this part of the world.

Salamat! Pope Francis for coming to the Philippines. Your visit has truly awakened our spirits and brought good cheer to millions of lives in this archipelago. Mabuhay ka!

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People Asia Magazine is celebrating its 15th year today. It is also the 10th year of giving People of the Year awards to people who have made a difference in the lives of others; who sparkle and shine in their chosen professions; and who inspire us.

Pope Francis will be honored with the Special Award as we thank him for his compassion and sincerity in uplifting our spirits. I hope that as he ends his visit to the Philippines today, he brings back with him a feeling of reaffirmation of the Filipinos’ strong Catholic faith that is forever burning in our hearts.

On the President and people of this beloved land of the Philippines, I ask Almighty God’s abundant blessings of wisdom, discernment, prosperity and peace – Pope Francis