Memoirs of a Lady and the Popes

MANILA, Philippines - We would usually share an elevator on our way to a chapel, where, given her advanced age, her constant companion would support her while walking, and eventually wheel her in as time progressed. We exchanged a polite and silent greeting with a simple nod that has become a casual ritual for the both of us. Amidst her frailty, she was a serene and confident figure that has become an inimitable part of my day of worship — I remember her usual subdued attire and precisely where she would sit, and the focus she devoted to the celebration of the Eucharist.

In one of these occasions inside the lift, a nun belonging to the chaplaincy quickly remarked how she has missed the lady at Mass for the past weeks.

She happily replied that she had just recently arrived from the Vatican and, with the excitement of a little girl, revealed a picture of the Holy Father and herself. This was long before it was even conceived or announced to the public that Pope Francis was due to visit the country.

It was that precise moment which piqued my interest to get to know more about the current Pope, who was then making waves with newfound approach shifting the view of an austere Catholic Church into one that is more accepting and tolerant. From her firsthand experience, I was curious about what she had to say whilst at the epicenter of her faith, and those of countless other Filipinos, most of whom have not seen the Pope up close.

She introduced herself as Carmen Araneta Segovia and enthusiastically invited me to her home for a chat and declared that, in her lifetime, she has met and been blessed in person by five Holy Fathers, from Pius XII to Francis, with the exception of John XXIII and John Paul I. 

Equipped with questions for the interview, I made my way to her condominium, a spacious abode with fine furniture and fixtures, located in a high rise building in Makati.

Everywhere, almost overwhelmingly, were memorabilia devoted to the Papacy. Great in volume yet tastefully and thoughtfully positioned in the enclaves of her dwelling were photographs, paintings, books, and religious articles — statues, stampitas, novenas — all about the Popes from the past to the present.  These revealed that she was a genuine follower of the life of the Church told through the lives of its vicars.

When I got to sit down with the Senora, it was a bit of delightful trivia to learn that she was the first baby to be born 88 years ago at the Singian Clinic, right when it was yet to be completely finished and furbished — and a bed had to be brought in for the delivery. She was the eldest of five daughters of the visionary industrialist Salvador Zaragosa Araneta and legendary philanthropist Victoria Lopez Araneta. 

In the prime of his career, Salvador made relevant movements in entrepreneurship and pushed for protectionist policies for local businesses, and founded the Republic Flour Mills Food Corporation, which was and is still a prime mover for manufacturing for kitchen staples, such as cooking oil, margarine, flour, and cake mixes.

His wife, Victoria, was the First Lady of society and equally as important as her husband, as she founded free schools, and the White Cross Society, which started out as a preventarium for parents with tuberculosis — then one of the most serious epidemics Filipinos had to address. The pioneering efforts from these luminaries are still going strong — growing and diversifying in products and services.

Mother and daughter were schooled at the Assumption Convent, and in 1950, which was declared a Holy Year and therefore greatly significant for Catholic Christians around the world as it stems from the tradition that all sins are forgiven in time of the Jubilee. Carmen, along with several students of the institution, embarked on a four-month long journey, accompanied by renowned nuns Mother Esperanza and Mother Blanca, as they traversed through the United States on a private bus. They subsequently boarded the RMS Queen Elizabeth — the premier ship of the time alongside the RMS Queen Mary — with South Hampton as the destination.

Joined by Assumption girls from all over the world, the highlight of the visitation around Europe was being in the audience of Pope Pius XII, a leader who faced one of the most difficult times for the Vatican, with the Holocaust occurring during his reign from 1939 to 1958.

One can only imagine what Carmen felt in the presence of the most powerful man in her world, the atmosphere made all the more somber with the attire of the Assumption sisters in faith — the students clothed modestly and completely in black, from their shoes, stockings, to their dresses, and veils. But in her own words, the experience was truly life-changing.

The devotion — one can even call it a pure love affair — was sparked at that moment. Throughout her life she collected all that could be of the papacy, an accumulation of memories, anecdotes, photos, videos, books, biographies, and objects sacred and dear to her.

It was 17 years later that she revisited the Vatican, in a European tour she took with her husband, J.M. Segovia, with whom she had 10  children. In the five-day stopover, as planned, they were in time for the Pope’s weekly public audience. Here, she had the chance to be the presence of the insightful and reflective Paul VI, who was known for improving the relationship between Catholicism and other religions between 1963 and 1978.

1975 was yet again a Holy Year, and thousands of the daughters of the Religious of the Assumption convened to the holy Roman city in time for the canonization of their beloved foundress Saint Marie-Eugenie de Jesus, fondly referred to as Ma Mère. A special evening Mass was held with all in attendance, celebrated by no other than the Pope himself.

While residing in Mountainview, California with some of her children, her next trips occurred between 1979 and 2000.

During holidays around Europe with family and close friends, she saw Pope John Paul II — adored all over the globe and one of the longest reigning from 1978 to 2005, and whose visits to the Philippines were some of the most momentous for Filipino Catholics.

In 2006, she went to Italy with her husband for the wedding of a good friend. Yet again, she made an effort to be in the presence of Pope Benedict XVI, who was in the Holy See from 2005 to 2013, and was an accomplished and highly regarded university theologian.

Her story was coming to a close as she recounted events near present times. She recalls distinctly the 14th of May in 2015, her 10th visit to Vatican. This was in time of the canonization of two saints— Pope John Paul II and Pope Paul VI — by Pope Francis, admired all over the world for his humility and concern for the poor.

Here, she was accompanied by Brother Joel of the Brothers of Charity Congregation. They waited in a corner of St. Peter’s Square, and after the Pope blessed the crowd and kissed babies, he openly extended his arm to the people and for a few fleeting yet profound moments, Carmen held the Pope’s hand.

In all of these encounters, she brings with her stacks of paraphernalia dedicated to His Holiness, from information leaflets to a collection of prayers in booklets, which she surrenders to the Papal aides so they can be distributed in whatever manner the Pope thinks best.

But age slowly takes its claim, and she doubts that she will ever have the chance to go back to the Vatican, the city she loves, which seems to be getting farther and farther away, considering the distance one has to travel.

She lightly shared that she wished to have lived in the land of her dreams, where she could have easily resided — in the home of her beloved Popes.

When Pope Francis came, she did not even attempt to go to his Masses. She settled with watching him on television.

Now, she resigns to collecting and reading books on and by the Holy Fathers. 

The last time I saw Carmen Araneta Segovia in the small conclave of our common elevator, a pin gleamed over her heart. 

On it were the words, I love Pope Francis.