Pope John Paul II: What he meant to us Pinoys

Tomorrow is the beatification of the late Great Pope John Paul II at St. Peter’s Square and it’s going to be a full-packed St. Peter’s Square with so many people who respect, love and revere the late Pontiff. Unfortunately this event was apparently misunderstood by many who believed that this event was already to declare Pope John Paul II a Saint. Actually, Beatification means “the declaration by the Pope that the dead person is in the state of bliss constituting a step forward canonization and permitting public veneration.” In short, the late Pope John Paul II will be considered a “Beato,” the last step toward Sainthood.

What makes this event of greater significance for the Catholic Church is that it falls on the first of May, the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker and the Sunday of the Octave of Easter and the Feast of the Divine Mercy, which was instituted by Pope John Paul II on May 23, 2000. The month of May is also known in the Philippines as Marian Month and we are a very Marian people. In Bohol, for instance, there’s a fiesta in each town in the month of May.

How ironic that the international TV news media is giving this important coverage, explaining to their worldwide audience how and why so many people all over the world loved Pope John Paul II. Yet the same media organizations always look for ways to take potshots at the Catholic Church. Of course, they could not forget that this Pope was considered the most traveled Pope in history, even traveling to areas that he wasn’t welcomed, notably his own native land, Poland, which was then under the Iron Curtain. Who could forget that Pope John Paul II encouraged the people in the Iron Curtain to fight against the tyranny of their communist masters? When they got the courage to stand up for their rights, the Berlin Wall crumbled and Iron Curtain fell down. The prophesy of Fatima fulfilled!

Even here at home, our national TV networks are playing those unforgettable years when Pope John Paul II visited the Philippines, which is why we Filipinos love and respect him very much. I myself will not forget that I was so close to the Pope, I was able to kiss his hand in the hastily made open-air Mass, which used to be the old Lahug Airport, which is now the AsiaTown I.T Park. But if he was alive today and heard that so many nominal Catholics like President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III are pushing for the RH bill, I’m sure he’d issue an official statement informing us Filipinos that we should obey the doctrines of the Catholic Church and be Pro-Life!

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Regarding my article yesterday on the implementation of Executive Order 33, I wrote a friend who belongs to the persons with disabilities (PWD) sector asking her for comments on what I was going to write on Friday for their sector. However, her e-mail arrived after my deadline for the Friday column. Hence, allow me to add this letter for more clarification. Unfortunately, she asked that her name be withheld. So here’s her letter:

“Mr. Avila, Thank you for covering this issue in your STAR column. As a member of the sector of persons with disabilities, may I add that under Article 4.3-General Obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), which states: ‘In the development and implementation of legislation and policies to implement the present Convention, and in other decision-making processes concerning issues relating to persons with disabilities (PWDs), States Parties (which the Philippines is one) shall closely consult with and actively involve persons with disabilities, including children with disabilities, through their representative organizations.’  

“The fact that there was no such consultation is deemed a violation of said convention and, therefore offensive to an already hurting sector that is only fully aware that, compared with most countries and governments that have taken great strides in the social development and sustainability of their own PWD sector, our government has only begun to scratch the surface when it comes to the implementation of laws that empower the sector. Worse, many people in government who are supposed to implement policies and programs for our empowerment do not even know what empowerment means as they are not even empowered themselves!

“The transfer back of NCDA to DSWD is not the only issue of non-consultation that bothers PWD leaders; there are others as well, which is a disturbing pattern that must be addressed by the sector itself. In fact, after being elected President, P-Noy promised to meet our sector because of the support we gave him, but that hasn’t happened yet. Under the previous administration, at least our sectoral concerns were given direct attention, giving us a chance to catch up with the rest of the world. Now under DSWD, you are right when you said it, that PWDs’ concerns will just be one of the many they are handling. Sad to say, our nation has taken another step backward. (Name withheld).”

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For e-mail responses to this article, write to [email protected] or [email protected]. Avila’s columns can be accessed through www.philstar.com.