Philippines celebrates Pope Leo’s election; past visits recalled

MANILA, Philippines — The predominantly Catholic Philippines rejoiced and expressed warm welcome for the election of Pope Leo XIV, with some Filipinos recounting that the new pontiff had visited the country at the turn of the millennium.

Archbishop Socrates Villegas of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan said the new pope is the faithful’s “answered prayer,” since he was given by God “to increase our faith in His promise, ‘I will be with you until the end of time.’ ”

“Let us look beyond races and nationalities. Let us rise above labels of liberals and conservatives. He is our pope. We owe him our obedience as we would obey Christ. Let us unite,” Villegas said in a statement.

He also praised the new pope’s chosen name, saying that the last pontiff who carried such name “left a legacy of linking the work of the Gospel with social engagement and transformation insisting on the sacred dignity of the human person.”

Antipolo Bishop Ruperto Cruz Santos, meanwhile, urged the faithful to pray that Pope Leo XIV will lead with wisdom, bear challenges with courage and persevere through the grace of God.

Caritas Philippines, the humanitarian, development and advocacy arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said Pope Leo’s moral courage and concern for the vulnerable “offer renewed hope in this critical moment for humanity and the planet.”

CBCP vice president and Pasig Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara urged the faithful to pray for the new pope, that he may lead the Catholics in their pilgrimage of faith “as one Church, united in love and hope.”

“As we bid farewell with sorrow and gratitude to Pope Francis, whose witness of mercy, simplicity and love for the poor has inspired the world, we now embrace Pope Leo XIV with filial affection and prayerful hope. May the Lord grant him strength, wisdom and a heart like Christ’s as he takes up the cross of service to the Church and the world,” he said.

Fray Dante Morabe Bendoy, prior provincial of the Philippine Augustinian Province, described Robert Prevost’s election as the first Augustinian pope as a “historic milestone” in which they take pride and joy.

He said Augustinians recall Prevost’s visits to the Philippines, as then prior general, where he went to their convent and seminaries in Manila, Makati and Bulacan.

“We cherish the memories of his warm presence, the mass he celebrated with us, his humility and the photos we shared. I would say these moments remind us of his genuine pastoral heart and his deep commitment to our order and to the Church,” Bendoy said. — Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Bella Cariaso, Jose Rodel Clapano, Cezar Ramirez, Elizabeth Marcelo, Janvic Mateo