JUNIOR KATROPA PERSPECTIVE: POPE FRANCIS IN THE PHILIPPINES By Jamela Valdez and Leslie Anne Caranyagan The Church is called to draw near to every person, beginning with the poorest and those who suffer.” – Pope Francis As a dominantly Catholic country in Asia, the Philippines is privileged and honored as one of the countries graced by Pope Francis. Our country has seen various obstacles including natural calamities and dispute between different cultural views. And with Pope Francis who made an effort to visit our country, Filipinos felt grateful and fortunate that he personally chose the Philippines as one of the countries to visit despite the struggles our country has been facing. The Pope’s itinerary includes different places in Manila and he will be also visiting Tacloban, which was devastated by Typhoon Yolanda, the strongest typhoon ever recorded in written history. Pope Francis personally chose to go to Tacloban to give comfort to those who were greatly affected. As a Junior Katropa who is fortunate to witness the arrival of Pope Francis in my lifetime, it was overwhelming to personally see him, while he waves his hands to a sea of people who patiently lined up to get a glimpse of his endless smiles. The people did not feel that the Pope was actually tired after his trip from Sri Lanka. Pope Francis has been a huge instrument in bringing the message of “Mercy and Compassion” to unite people from different religious sectors. As he shows his respect to diverse religious groups, it is gratifying to notice how other religious groups aside from the Catholic fold welcomed the Pope peacefully and wholeheartedly. We all wish for the safety of Pope Francis during his brief stay in the Philippines. As we look forward to all his activities, we hope with his presence, our faith in God will be strengthened and he will truly bring hope to Filipinos worldwide. Gracias, Papa Francisco! Jamela Valdez and Leslie Anne Caranyagan are Journalism students from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and currently holding their internship at DWDD Katropa Radio.
Posted on: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 11:07:34 +0000
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