EDITORIAL - Time to move on

There has been a strong reaction from many Cebuanos to Cebu's exclusion in the itinerary of Pope Francis when he visits the country in January.  For how come the organizers left out Cebu when it has its major share of Yolanda devastation?

That's why we cannot blame some local officials who are fighting it out before the organizers for Cebu to be included in the pope's schedule. They simply do not want to lose hope, expecting a change once Cebuanos would strongly insist on grabbing the opportunity to host the pope.

Even Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama vows to make an appeal to the Vatican for Cebu to be part of the pope's itinerary. He even called on the Capitol to also take the lead in appealing to Church authorities, considering that Cebu province has been one of those badly affected by the strongest typhoon ever to make a landfall.   

Based on a statement released by Church officials last week, the bulk of the pope's schedule would be spent in the capital. He would fly to Leyte for a mass, visit to the mass grave and spend a short time with selected disaster victims

However, it remains to be seen whether the Church would give in. No official from the Church or from the Philippine government has come out announcing any change in the pope's itinerary. So it is assumed that the schedule is already final.

Indeed, it remains a divine mystery why Cebu failed to take a piece of the pope's schedule. Perhaps, those responsible for his itinerary forgot to consider the gruesome images of the northern areas badly devastated by the typhoon.

Granting that the death and destruction in the north failed to take the attention of the papal visit's organizers, the fact that Cebu is Asia's cradle of Christianity should have been enough for the them to reconsider their decision given the proximity of Leyte.

But a decision has already been made. So it's time for Cebu typhoon victims in the north to continue picking up the pieces and move on.  What is more important is that they are now on the road to full recovery.

While typhoon victims long to meet with the pope for him to witness their plight, it's pointless to lose faith with his no-show. And since Cebuanos are known to be deeply religious, not even a thousand Yolandas can diminish their devotion.