Most of the superheroes that we grew up with are images of strength, extraordinary capabilities and out of this world abilities. Most of them would either be in leotards or will be flying up high with the wind on their cape. Some would have the ability to control things while some the ability to regenerate. As a kid, you either wish that you are one of these superheroes or wish that one of them will magically appear right in front of your doorstep.
Last week, the nation witnessed a superhero fly in from the other part of the world and it felt like that the kid in every one of us started jumping up and down in excitement. However, this superhero was very different from the one everyone grew up with.
No, he did not have the power of flight but it seems that he made our spirits fly with his presence. No, he did not have the power of telekinesis, but it seems that he was able to move millions of people. No, he did not have the power of a flame-thrower, but he rekindled the flame in the heart of millions of Filipinos. He did not have a cape or a leotard but priestly vestments. He did not have a bow and arrow for a weapon but what he had was a Crucifix and a Bible. His name is Francis - a superhero yet human in every way possible.
Pope Francis or Jorge Mario Bergolio is a man of many firsts. He is the first Pope from the religious order, Society of Jesus. He is also the first non-European pontiff and the fist coming from Latin America. Coming from a family of Italian immigrants, Jorge was initiated to the religious life through his grandparents who took care of him growing up.
At 36, Jorge became the Provincial of the Jesuits in Argentina and also served as Rector of the seminary for the said order. He was then chosen to be the auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires and eventually the archbishop. Eventually, he was elected into the college of cardinals by none other than his predecessor, St. John Paul II. But even before he embraced the religious life he was known to have worked as a bouncer in a night club and a chemist for a certain factory.
Jorge is famous for his simplicity. It is said that this humble bishop used to ride buses and subways to get to various parts of the city. Also, it is said that he spent a lot of his time with the poorest of the poor. He lived in an apartment much different from the grand “palaces” high-ranking church officials are usually seen.
During his time as archbishop, Argentina was faced with economic and social turmoil. The soon-to-be pope stood against the harsh realities that his countrymen were experiencing up to the point that he was labeled by the government as the head of the groups opposing the government. This did not stop Father Jorge. He fought for the right of the oppressed masses, even facing exile to a remote part of the country.
It is said that Father Jorge had no plans of becoming pope. In fact, during the time of his election, he was planning to retire. But it seemed that God had other plans for this humble man. On 2012, Father Jorge was elected as the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church taking up the name of Francis, after St. Francis of Assisi, very much reminiscent of how close he was to the poor.
On the day of his arrival in the Philippines, church bells rang as the pontiff stepped out of the plane. Thousands of students joyfully danced to what looked like a fiesta of sorts to welcome the pope. Hundreds and thousands of Filipinos were glued to their television screen just to get a glimpse of this very important guest that the whole nation was waiting to arrive. Thousands of people flocked the streets just get a glimpse of the Pope en route to the Papal Nunciature which served as his official residence for the rest of the visit.
On his first day, the Pope visited the Malacanang Palace, the official residence of the president of the Philippines. More than a pastoral visit, the pontiff’s arrival in the country is also a state visit with the Pope being the head of the independent state of the Vatican. In his visit in the palace, the pope had a private conversation with the president of the Philippines regarding different issues that the country is facing.
In his speech at the palace, the pontiff stressed on the need to eradicate corruption at all levels. He emphasized that the leaders of the country should practice integrity in all their dealings. Moreover, the Pope called for the government to prioritize the poor encouraging everyone to have this year as the year of the poor. He also touched on the issue of migration of our OFW workers empahisizing further the role Filipino migrants play in the country.
Later on that day, he went to Manila Cathedral to celebrate a mass with the religious and clergy. It was the Pope’s first mass in the country. During his homily, the pontiff encouraged the religious to live a prayerful life especially that they are the spiritual leaders of this country. A light moment was sitnessed when the crowed replied “Yes!” to the Pope’s question “Do you love me?” which was an excerpt from the Gospel reading. The pontiff smiled and thanked the audience for their warm reply.
Next on his schedule was the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City where he will be meeting with the families. In this event the Pope was able to hear testimonials from different families facing different realities in the society. The three testimonials came from three families each discussing their experiences with poverty, migration and disability. The pope responded with a challenge to the crowd to never stop dreaming for their families. To qoute, “ When you lose the capacity to dream, you lose the capacity to love.” Furthermore he warned the families of the ideological colonizationwhich threatens the very essence of family life.
The following day he was set to fly to Tacloban to join the victims of Typhoon Yolanda. However, everyone was unsure whether or not the Pope will push through because there was a typhoon currently approaching the said area. To everybody’s surprise, the pontiff pushed through and held mass at Tacloban amidst the strong winds and rain ravishing the province.
His mass at Tacloban could be considered as one of the most heart-wrenching since the Pope himself was lost for words for the victims of the calamity. He, however, emphasized that it is important for the victims to look to Jesus because “Jesus never lets you down.” Unfortunately, his trip to Tacloban had to be cut short due to the bad weather. The pope flew back to Manila four hours earlier than scheduled.
The last day of the Pope’s visit was spent in an encounter with the youth at University of Sto. Tomas in Espana, Manila. Here he was able to hear different testimonials from different youth representatives. One notable scene that happened during this event is when the Pope disregarded his prepared speech and went impromptu. Speaking in his native tongue, the Pope addressed the questions of the three youth representatives. His inspiring speech challenged the thousands of youth to “Think well, feel well and do well” amidst the abundance of information that this generation is known for. He warned the youth against becoming youth museums who holds a lot of information but has no was of using such information for the good of others.
His last stop was in Quirino Grandstand where over 6 million people gathered to hear his last mass in the Philippines. Despite the rain and the chill brought by the wind, millions of people lined up and waited for long hours just to attend the said mass. In this final mass, the Pope stressed on the responsibility of the Filipinos to become missionaries of Faith in Asia and in the world. He challenegd everyone to go to the peripheries and become the beacon of faith wherever they go.
Before leaving, it was also noted that the Pope did some spontaneous visits and meetings. One of them was a visit to an orphanage where the Pope met with the orphans and former street children under th e hospices’ care. Also, another meeting was held after his encounter with the families at MOA Arena. Forty priests from the Society of Jesus met up with the pontiff to welcome him in the Philippines. According to one attendee, the Holy Father talked about vocation, brotherhood and other themes in an hour-long conversation with the Jesuits. He even joked about how the forty elephants in that greeted him in Sri Lanka were better dressed compared to the forty priests he was meeting.
The official Papal visit officially ended on January 19 with the Pope boarding a plane back to Rome to end his week long travel in Asia.
As the pope boarded the plane, thousands of people again gathered the streets and the tarmac of the Villamor Airbase to bid him goodbye. It was defnitely a bittersweet moment seeing their hero leave but it was defnitely an invigorating experience to see someone who albeit the fame and the attention that he is getting, remain to be grounded. The holy man, the hero and the “Lolo” that everyone waited for many months, finally stayed true to his promise much like what a superhero does. The best part of it that the Pope was able to bring hope and joy to the nation- and that is, more than anything else, the best superpower that he has.
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