If I could have breakfast with Pope Francis

Well, it won't probably happen at all, but since I lived in Tacloban for a year, and left only a couple of months before Yolanda, and my name was submitted to the Papal Nuncio for screening of the chosen folks, with whom the Holy Father will spend moments over a simple breaking of bread, who knows if a miracle would happen? And so, if the highly improbable comes to pass, what would I say to the Supreme Pontiff / what questions would I dare to ask? What information would I whisper to him in hushed and emotional tone perhaps, and what prayers would I request him to do for me and my loved ones? It would be a great blessing, a gem of an opportunity of a lifetime, indeed.

Yes, I did live in Tacloban, in the farthest barangay called Kabalawan, where a sprawling complex of more than twenty buildings used to stand, in the foot of the San Juanico Bridge, before the deluge. It was the beautiful National Maritime Polytechnic, or NMP, the government-owned and managed training center for maritime officers and ratings NMP is where seafarers are being trained in order to upgrade their skills and be assessed and given certifications, so as to enable them to qualify for redeployment as sea-borne OFWs. The Filipino seafarers are the best and the most numerous all over the world. There are thousands of ocean-going vessels plying the seven seas and for sure, there are hundreds of thousands of Filipino seafarers aboard. I was the executive director of NMP for a year.

And so, if given that golden opportunity to spend some precious moments with the Holy Father, I would tell him about the struggles and difficulties of the poor people of Tacloban and the rest of Leyte, like those who live in Palo, Alang-alang, Dulag and even as far as Ormoc and those in the other side of Leyte, the towns facing Cebu and Bohol. I will tell the Pope about the simple and hard-working priests in the Archdiocese of Palo, as well as the thousands of lay workers for the Church, and millions of the faithful who have stuck it out with the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. I will also tell the Pope about the pains and sacrifices of the twelve million OFWs in more than 200 countries all over the world, including the about 800,000 Filipino seafarers.

Perhaps, if given time, I would ask the Pope a couple of philosophical questions. Why does God allow too much devastation in the land of people who have remained faithful to Him and His Church all these years? Why does the Lord allow too much sufferings among so good a people? Why does God give opportunities to so many evil people to triumph over a number of Christian faithful all over the world? Why are there too much poverty, deprivation, and want in a nation that is so blessed with a fertile land, rich marine resources and a fantastic weather? Why are too many jobless, homeless and hopeless Catholics while a few politicians and business taipans are monopolizing the country's wealth and political and economic  power?

While I would tell the Pope of most Filipino priests and bishops who are serving the Philippine Catholic Church with utmost fidelity and dedication to their calling, I would also whisper to him about a few pastors of the Church who are living in ostentatious luxury, while the parishioners continue to suffer in poverty and social injustice. I will tell him about one or two priests who are alleged to be inclined to pedophilia and reported to be an active bisexual life of lust and immorality. I would advise him not to take my words but to order the conduct of a discreet inquiry. And lastly, in a somewhat hesitant and fearful voice, I would ask him a very political and audacious question: when will archbishop Jose Palma get a red cap, one that he rightfully deserves. Well, for all we know, that breakfast may not come about, after all. But who knows?