MANILA, Philippines — Pope Francis has praised Filipinos for their faith, describing the work of some of them working in the Vatican as “fantastic” because of “the faith they have and the witness they give.”
“The Filipinos are men of faith, women of faith,” the pontiff said in his address to the local migrant community in Spain last Dec. 16, the eve of his 88th birthday.
He instructed the Filipinos to “continue to bear witness in this society that has become too rich, too competent, too self-sufficient. Thank you for what you do.”
The pope also expressed his fondness for the Tagalog word “tahanan” because it signified that the church can be someone’s home wherever they may be.
“You chose to call your mission in Madrid ‘Tahanan’ – a beautiful word that we can translate as ‘home.’ And it is true, everywhere we go, the Church is always a home for us, a warm and welcoming home, and today the house of Peter is also like a home for you,” he added.
In Madrid, many Filipino migrants who experience difficulties and misunderstandings turn to their headquarters, the Parish of Nuestra Señora del Espino.
Aiding the Filipinos in their moment of despair is the Blessed Mother who presents herself as our lady of the thorns, for her children not to lose hope and have strength in confronting problems, trusting in her protection and support.
The pope also cherished two memories when he visited the Philippines in January 2015, after the devastation caused by Super Typhoon Yolanda – the seven million people at the mass in Manila, and the mass in Tacloban.
“With the rain and the wind, I remember we had to rush out because a storm was coming, and otherwise we would not have been able to take off,” he recalled.
The pope visited Spain for the 25th anniversary of the canonical erection of the personal parish of the Immaculate Conception and San Lorenzo Ruiz, in Barcelona.