TACLOBAN CITY—Speaker Martin Romualdez on Saturday afternoon led public officials and Waraynons in attending a solemn Mass to honor the legacy of Pope Francis and mark the 10th anniversary of late pontiff’s historic visit on January 17, 2015 at the tarmac of the New Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport here.
He said the visit gave the people of Eastern Visayas not only hope but the strength to rise from the devastation of Super Typhoon Yolanda.
“Pope Francis gave us more than hope,” Romualdez said after the commemoration, titled Paghinumdom: A Tribute of Gratitude.
“He showed the world how to lead with compassion. He stood with us—not just as a Pope, but as a father to the suffering. His presence gave us strength to rise.”
“He gave us the courage to begin again. When we felt forgotten, he remembered. When we were broken, he came to bless the brokenness. That is something no people ever forget,” he added.
The Holy Mass—held in the same area where Pope Francis once stood in the rain to offer comfort to a grieving nation – was officiated by Msgr. Ramon Stephen Aguilos as the main celebrant, along with Rev. Fr. Mark Ivo Velasquez, Rev. Fr. Paulino Cabahit Jr., Rev. Fr. Engelbert Tiu, Rev. Fr. Goldie Kenn Zabala, Rev. Fr. Aldwin Roy Cabelin Nartea, and Rev. Fr. Michael Kirby Lauron as co-celebrants.
Before the 3 p.m. Holy Mass, videos featuring the life of Pope Francis were shown, accompanied by worship songs performed by the I Love Tacloban Singers.
Romualdez said the people’s lives were forever changed by the Pope’s visit on January 17, 2015.
“Ten years ago, Pope Francis did not just visit us: he stood with us, shoulder to shoulder, heart to heart,” Romualdez said.
“His presence was a comfort to our grief, a spark to our resilience and a reminder that even in the darkest storms, the light of compassion can shine through.”
The Speaker also reflected on the historic image of the Pope celebrating Mass under stormy skies in a yellow raincoat, a moment that became emblematic of the solidarity between the Church and the suffering Filipino people.
“That yellow raincoat became our banner of faith. We saw in him not as a distant leader, but a loving father: present, soaked in our sorrow, and filled with love,” Romualdez said.
During Pope Francis’ visit, 14 months after Super Typhoon Yolanda barreled through the eastern part of the country in 2013, the late pontiff said he was at a loss for words amid the devastation he saw.
“So many of you have lost everything. I don’t know what to say to you, but the Lord does know what to say to you. Some of you lost part of your families. All I can do is keep silent, and I walk with you all with my silent heart. Many of you have asked the Lord, ‘Why, Lord?’ And to each of you, Christ responds from His heart upon the Cross,” the late Pope said in his impromptu homily during his visit.