Pope Francis: ‘A shepherd who walked with his people’

CEBU, Philippines – Many religious leaders in the country came out with statements on Monday, April 21 to be in solidarity with Catholics worldwide who are mourning the passing of Pope Francis, among them, the head of the Archdiocese of Palo. Archbishop John F. Du, DD, of Palo in Leyte recalled the Pope’s visit to Leyte in 2015, particularly in Tacloban City and Palo town — two of three places that the beloved head of the Catholic Church visited, the other being Manila.

This was a significant moment in history as the Pope brought messages of hope to the province that was devastated by Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013 and Super Typhoon Ruby in 2014. It was the first papal visit in the Philippines in the 21st century. “His visit left an indelible mark on our hearts, and his leadership continues to inspire us in faith and resilience.



Let us join the global Catholic community in prayer and mourning with hope of the joys of the resurrection,” the Palo Archbishop said. It was during this time that His Holiness wore the iconic yellow raincoat and braved the bad weather to hold mass in Tacloban City before thousands of families and pilgrims who came to see him. Renz Bulseco, a Tacloban-based air traffic controller, remembered it almost like it was yesterday.

“In January 2015, the late Pope Francis made a memorable visit to Tacloban City. Despite the looming storm (Agaton), he held a mass at the airport’s new ramp. Everyone in attendance was clad in bright yellow ponchos, creating a vibrant sea of color from the control tower’s vantage point,” he said in a Facebook post.

Bulseco shared that he felt a surge of pride having had the opportunity to be close to the Pope and how after 12 years in service, this moment stood out as one of the highlights of his career. “His words of comfort and hope resonated deeply for the people of Tacloban after typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda. What struck me most was his willingness to engage with people, to listen to their stories and offering words of solace,” Tacloban-based blogger Rita Oplimo said in a social media post.

Oplimo was among the thousands of Filipinos who attended the Pope’s mass in Tacloban City. “In that moment, I felt a deep connection to my faith..

..the Pope’s visit was a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope,” Oplimo added.

With his people Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) President Pablo Virgilio “Ambo” Cardinal David also expressed his sorrow over the loss of Pope Francis, recalling the Holy Father’s last words to the church. “He said, today at last, the singing of the ‘alleluia’ is heard once more in the Church, passing from mouth to mouth, from heart to heart, and this makes the people of God throughout the world shed tears of joy,” David recalled. The cardinal said that it was okay to shed tears of sorrow during the joyful Easter Octave, as it was the Pope himself who reminded the Catholic community that only when we shed tears do we “see more clearly.

” “He was a shepherd who walked with his people, often choosing the dusty road toward the peripheries rather than the comfort of the center. Through Evangelii Gaudium and Fratelli Tutti, he reminded us that the heart of the Gospel beats most strongly where pain, poverty, and exclusion dwell,” David said. “He invited us to be a listening Church — one that opens its ears to the cries of the people and its heart to the stirrings of the Spirit,” he added.

According to David, it was the Pope who challenged the faithful to rediscover the Church as a field hospital, a place of healing and unified journeying, and to view the earth as a common home that we must care for. “With his characteristic wit and warmth, he once called our Overseas Filipino migrant workers ‘contrabandistas de la fe’ — smugglers of the faith — reminding us that the witness of simple, faithful lives can cross borders and touch hearts where formal missionaries cannot go,” David emphasized. For David, the beloved Holy Father’s legacy as supreme pontiff will never be forgotten.

The priest urged fellow faithfuls to commit themselves to forwarding the Pope’s call for a missionary synodal church, which goes forth, listens deeply, walks humbly with others, and proclaims God’s mercy with joy. “May he rest in the peace of Christ, whom he served with humility and hope. Amen,” David prayed.

– Rappler.com.