Franciscus

There is no doubt that the whole Christian world is mourning the death of Pope Francis, especially those whose lives he touched. The popular pope was finally laid to rest at the Basilica of St. Mary Major yesterday. His tomb, located near the altar of St. Francis, bore only the inscription “Franciscus” and a reproduction of his pectoral cross, in keeping with his June 29, 2022 will where he specified: “The tomb should be in the ground; simple, without particular ornamentation, and bearing only the inscription: Franciscus.”

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the man who led the Catholic Church in the last 12 years was loved and admired for his humility, simplicity and frugality – preferring to live at the modest Vatican guesthouse Casa Santa Marta instead of the lavish papal apartments at the sprawling Apostolic Palace.

The first Jesuit and Latin American to serve as pontiff, he was dubbed the “thrifty pope” early in his papacy because he eschewed luxury, like when he preferred to move around in a Fiat rather than a bullet proof Mercedes Benz during his trip to Rio de Janeiro in July 2013. He was devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary and truly believed in her being his protector. He wore simple white robes instead of more elaborate vestments, and his ordinary black shoes were a stark contrast to the red “pope” shoes.

During a mass at the Casa Santa Marta a decade ago, the message of Pope Francis, also called “Papa Francesco” in Italian, underscored humility and simplicity, telling the people that the Lord does things simply and speaks silently, to the heart. “The humility of God is His style; the simplicity of God is His style… What is beautiful is that which manifests the humility of God, and not the worldly spectacle.”

That media called him “the People’s Pope” was no surprise because he had the “common touch,” comfortably mingling with ordinary folk, gamely taking selfies, utilizing technology and social media to reach out not only to the Catholic faithful but people across all religions. In fact, he left people totally in awe when he embraced a man afflicted with a genetic disease known as neurofibromatosis that made his face look disfigured with grapelike clusters of lumps.

Aside from humility and simplicity, his reign was also characterized by great concern for the poor, the marginalized and those on the fringes of society.

For Filipinos, he embodied empathy and compassion, and became a beacon of hope for those whose lives were upended by Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) that hit the Philippines on Nov. 8, 2013 – a date I could never forget because it happens to be my birthday. Yolanda pounded Leyte and many parts of Eastern Visayas, resulting in the death of 10,000 people. The government was not ready for the magnitude of the disaster that displaced over four million people and impacted the lives of 16 million.

I will not forget when I received the call of my cousin – his voice shaking – saying that Leyte has been “completely ravaged” and that “only God can help us here.”

The heart-wrenching conditions that came in the aftermath of the super typhoon – leaving so many broken in heart and in spirit – moved Pope Francis to visit the Philippines in January 2015.

I saw for myself why the charismatic pope was so well-loved, even by those who are not of the Catholic faith, when he went out of his way to visit Tacloban City in Leyte. Despite being advised to postpone due to a brewing tropical storm, he proceeded undeterred because he wanted to bring solace to the people who were still reeling from the devastation brought about by Yolanda.

Wearing a yellow raincoat over his sotana, he braved the rains and comforted the hundreds of thousands of people who were gathered on the streets for the open-air mass on a makeshift stage. People were openly crying, especially after the pope’s extemporaneous homily, because they were so grateful and touched by the profound compassion and empathy that emanated from Pope Francis.

Many could still remember the poignant photo of “Lolo Kiko” (Grandpa Francis, a term of endearment for the late pope) comforting a former street child during an event with Filipino youth at the University of Santo Tomas. The 12-year-old girl broke into tears, asking the pope why God would allow children to be abandoned by parents, be involved in drugs or be forced into prostitution even though it is no fault of their own, and why only a few are willing to help.

Visibly moved and overwhelmed by compassion, Pope Francis hugged her and told the crowd: “She is the only one who has put a question for which there is no answer, and she was not even able to express it in words but rather in tears.”

I was blessed to see three popes up close in my lifetime. The first was Pope Paul VI in 1965 when he went to New York where I was finishing my high school. And then there was Pope John Paul II when he visited Manila in 1981. On all those occasions, I was deeply moved by their mere presence – but none like Pope Francis because of his empathy and compassion.

Looking back, we Filipinos are extremely blessed to be visited by two popes (visited twice by Pope John Paul II). We are all grateful for the love and compassion shown by Pope Francis, reverberating strongly today as we face many challenges.

We will all be forever grateful for the blessing of having Franciscus here on earth.

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