‘Seeing pope like seeing Jesus himself’

MANILA, Philippines - To two elderly women, seeing Pope Francis  – even on a giant television screen – was like being in the presence of Jesus.

Susana Ong, 75, arrived in Manila from Laguna on Saturday and braved the crowds at Rizal Park yesterday to attend the mass that will be led by the pope. Shortly after reaching the park, she lost consciousness due to hypertension, but not before seeing Pope Francis on one of the park’s giant viewscreens.

“It was like seeing Jesus Christ. I think I could die now,” she said as she lay on a stretcher in one of the medical tents set up at the park. Medical workers said she would be just fine.

What impressed her most was the pope’s call for priests to refrain from being materialistic.

Ong attends a Catholic church in Canlubang, Laguna. Francis, she said, is very different from some of the local priests she has encountered. 

Some of them “are so materialistic” that they wear gold jewelry while celebrating masses, she said.

Tessie Manaloto, 62, said enduring the rains is part of showing one’s devotion. She was sitting on the ground with her drenched raincoat on when chanced upon by The STAR about noon yesterday.

She had been waiting for the pope since 4 a.m. and was prepared to wait even longer.

Like Ong, Manaloto said she sees Christ in the face of Pope Francis. She likened the pontiff to the Black Nazarene, a life-size image of Christ that is purportedly miraculous.