Papal Visit 2015

Pope Francis' visit to the Philippines from January 15–19, 2015, is the first state and pastoral visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines.The Pope is the third pontiff to visit the country after Popes Paul VI and John Paul II. His visit marked the first visit of a pope to the Philippines in the 21st century with the last visit by a pope in the Philippines by Pope John Paul II in 1995. The pope visited Manila, plus Tacloban and Palo, Leyte, to pay a visit to the victims of the typhoon Yolanda. Pope Francis became the second pope to go beyond Manila during a papal visit to the Philippines, after Pope John Paul II who visited Cebu, Davao, Bacolod, Iloilo, Legazpi, Bataan and Baguio alongside Manila from February 17 to 22, 1981.      

His Holiness had given the chance for us Filipinos to see him face to face. The Philippines has been blessed to encounter and to meet not just 1 Pope but 3 Popes, namely: Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis. Even though I have managed to witness only one Pope visit the Philippines I can still feel the religious side of Filipinos in which is shown by the bright smiles and eager faces to see the Pope. Being religious is what the Filipinos are known for. Some would offer their lives for their beliefs of their religion just like what happened in Marcos’ reign. The nuns would chain themselves arm and arm just to protect what they believe is right. That for me is enough to show faithfulness. For me a Pope means a person who can unite religions together and govern and guide the whole Roman Catholic society into what God wants us to be.

As for the Pope’s visit, as for me I think of it as a sign of hope for Filipinos that we are still being recognized as one of the most religious countries in the world and that we should not abandon our faith. Even though the Pope was exhausted from travelling from one country to the other he forgot all that when he arrived in the Philippines. I think he was overwhelmed with all the people turned out even though it is very dark. When he had rode his Pope mobile he did not sit even for a second furlough his chair was just behind him. Because he knew that the people on the sides of the streets have waited for him for a long time, because some of them had been waiting since morning.  

And when it was time for the Pope to depart you could still feel the anticipation of the people on the streets waiting to catch a glimpse of the pope’s wonderful smile. The Pope has left a great mark on the Philippines History as the Third Pope to Visit the Philippines. I hope that I would be given a chance to see the pope again here in the Philippines because this was my first time seeing my fellowmen come together as one, join hand in hand to see the Pope.