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Friday, March 29, 2024

A joyous occasion

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The Papal visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to the Philippines is truly a historic and joyous occasion for the entire global Catholic community which recognizes the Pontiff as the worldly representative of our Lord Jesus Christ and head of the Catholic Church. The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) says that there is an estimated 1.229 billion Catholics worldwide, making up 17 percent of the total world population; and since becoming leader of the church in 2013, the Argentine-born pontiff —the first non-European Pope in about 1,300 years—has spent much of his time focusing on the developing world.

Accordingly, the Philippines proudly boasts to be the only Christian nation in Asia. After Argentina and Mexico, the Philippines ranks as the third most devout Catholic countries in the world—over 80 percent of its 100 million people are Catholic and another 10 percent belonging to Christian denominations which look up to the Pope with admiration because of his leadership characterized by humility and love towards the people of faith.

The Pope brings with Him the message of “mercy and compassion” to at least 11 different venues in the province of Leyte and Metro Manila during his four-day Apostolic Visit here until January 19, 2015. According to the published itinerary for the Papal visit, the Pope will be visiting Leyte Province which was severely affected by the monster typhoon Yolanda. He will be offering Mass near Tacloban Airport in the morning of Saturday, January 17 and will have lunch with the poor and survivors of natural calamities at the residence of the Archbishop of Palo. Afterwards he will bless the Pope Francis Center for the Poor in Palo, and visit the Cathedral of Our Lord’s Transfiguration (Palo Cathedral) to meet with priests and women and men religious. The next day, the Pope will travel back to Manila to meet religious leaders and young people at the Pontifical University of Santo Tomas in Manila. In the afternoon, he will go on a motorcade for the Concluding Mass at Quirino Grandstand in Rizal (Luneta) Park. Pope Francis will leave for Rome on January 19.

Indeed the Pope’s visit will surely bring much blessing to the Filipinos, particularly to the poor and those suffering from ordeal of picking up their lives in the aftermath of the super typhoons that ravaged the country. Pope Francis has often said there should be a better distribution of wealth, and has promoted measures to increase employment and integration of those that have been excluded.

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It is our humble opinion that the current leaders of this administration would do well to recognize this as an occasion to seek further help and aid from the global community through the Pope instead of viewing it as an occasion to hide their inefficiency, negligence and lapses in the past which have exacerbated the already gruelling conditions of the calamity affected areas. Likewise, we re-echo the Cardinal Tagle’s point that the concern and solidarity of Jesus the Good Shepherd will be palpable in the presence of Pope Francis and that the Pope’s visit draws all Christians to our personal and social responsibility.

And in line with the Papal visit’s theme of bringing “mercy and compassion” to our people, Cardinal Tagle has called on the solidarity of all the faithful to remember and live by these values by being “purified and strengthened by constantly listening to the Word of God, by frequently participating in the Eucharist and reconciling with God and with others, doing acts of justice and love”.

Together then let us spread the Gospel of hope with joy with His Holiness Pope Francis.

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