Pope Francis left us filled with hope and compassion

By the time we are through reading all the amazing heart-warming stories about the Pontiff in our country, he would have safely arrived back at the Vatican. His long and backbreaking journey to both ends of the world was not in vain though. He traveled to spread the Gospel and the message of our Lord to love the “least of our brothers and sisters” and it was indeed an inspiring trip that touched the hearts of many around the world.

To be sure, the Pope’s visit here filled so many of our countrymen with hope for the future and his signature smile and happiness touched the hearts of so many. It’s this very happiness that has made Pope Francis the poignant and popular head of the church that he is today. His joy is so infectious and his sincerity is so real that he has drawn many wayward Catholics back to the church. In so many ways, he is exactly what we and our faith needed.

Pope Francis, upon his election by the College of Cardinals (following Pope Benedict’s retirement), took his name after St. Francis of Assisi, an admired and beloved saint. The choice is actually perfect for him. I recall writing about it in a previous piece, but Pope Francis shared St. Francis’ love for simplicity, his adoration of nature and animals, and his special kinship with children. One of the biggest key messages of Pope Francis’ papacy is to live simply, to strip ourselves of material things and learn to live like our poor brothers and sisters and in turn find true and real compassion for them.

In the long history of Popes since St. Peter, he is the first to choose the name Francis and the first Jesuit to become the leader of the church. In fact, he is heralding in a lot of firsts for the church and making waves in the Catholic faith and around the world. His message of love and compassion is like a balm for the soul in a weary world. And for the first time in a very long while, the Catholic Church seems happier and more inclusive. I can’t help but think that this is just the start of more good things to come.

I, along with so many others, were so incredibly touched by the Pope’s visit to our shores. From the moment his plane landed and we first caught a glimpse of him smiling in the passenger seat we were already feeling the glow of his presence. After all, we knew how fortunate we were to have him in the country. With his busy schedule it was such a blessing that he made time particularly to visit the Philippines.

The Pope’s Asian trip also included Sri Lanka before flying here, and he shared that he knew he had to come ever since he saw the devastation wrought by Typhoon Yolanda on our country. In fact, he made it very clear that bringing hope to the people of Tacloban was the primary goal of his trip along with spreading the message of hope to the poor. He even said in his homily in Leyte, “When I saw in Rome the catastrophe brought by Typhoon Yolanda, I had to be here. And on those very days I decided to come here. I am here to be with you. A little bit late, but I am here.”

Though the entire trip here was poignant and meaningful I think the mass and the time he was able to spend with the people of Tacloban were the most important moments of his trip. He didn’t come to bring answers or tell them what to do, he came to be with them, to show his solidarity and give them hope for the future. And he did this without flowery words and promises. He simply said, “So many of you have lost everything. I don’t know what to say to you. But the Lord does know what to say to you. All I can do is keep silent and walk with you with my silent heart. And to each of you, to your heart, Christ responds with his heart from the cross.”

His simple admission of knowing that he didn’t have the words to say touched the hearts of the survivors of the worst typhoon to hit land. I even read a personal message from a friend who lost all his worldly possessions and half of his family in the tragedy say that for once he felt like someone truly understood and truly cared and for the first time since that horrible day in 2013, he felt like he was ready to move on. I think it is safe to say that Pope Francis truly succeeded in his mission to reach out to those who were battered by the storm.

But the amazing thing is, he went far beyond his goals and touched the lives of so many Filipinos including the youth, the families, and so many more. His simplicity was felt throughout and many noted how he loved being with the people and among the people and not above them or hidden from them behind bulletproof glass. Indeed, it is easy to see that this leader not only talks the talk, but walks the walk too.

The Pope is safely back home now, but I pray that the hope and the spark he lit in all of us continue to last. I am pragmatic enough to know that change is not going to happen overnight. Many people claimed that they doubted corrupt politicians would change their ways despite the Pontiff’s message of stamping out corruption in all forms, and that is probably true, but I don’t think the goal of the Pope’s visit was to change things immediately. I think he came to show us and remind us how to be the better versions of ourselves. If everyone he touched while here in the country changes the way they think then little by little they may start to change the way they act and this could lead to the bigger positive changes we all very sorely need.

At the end of the day, I feel extremely blessed to have been able to witness this historic trip. I commend everyone who was responsible for the Pope’s safety and schedule and all those who worked around the clock to make sure it went off without a hitch. Here’s to being better and happier. Thank you, Pope Francis for bringing your message of compassion and joy to our country.