Pope Francis for president

It is not my intention to be irreverent. But noticing how so many things are getting done -- things you normally do not see with the same scope and intensity -- one could not help but wonder why the same things cannot be done under normal circumstances. And if it had to take a Pope Francis to spur the sweeping miracles now happening in our society, then one can only wistfully wish for someone like him to inspire us similarly.

Just look at how quickly the roads are repaired and the sidewalks cleared. Look at how all the trash had vanished. Can you imagine a police presence so heavy and reassuring? Can you imagine a more disciplined citizenry? Why, even the traffic is gone. And just look and listen to all those words of goodwill and wellbeing on the air and posters. Salamat and malasakit -- wow, is this the Holy Land?

Why, even the Church is spending. What a welcome change. And look at all those volunteers. If only we have even half of them everyday. It is therefore not true that the Filipino is incorrigible. The Filipino can indeed change for the better. If only the change can last forever. Unfortunately, all these wonderful changes we are saying are here only for as long as the pope stays.

By Monday, when Pope Francis shall have left, things will swing back to normal faster than you realize they were even better. Government expenditures on public services will ground back to a halt. Public infrastructure will once again see a crying need for upkeep and repairs. The sidewalks will once again be taken over by anyone with something to sell.

Garbage will once again litter the streets and stay uncollected in seeping or smoldering heaps. The police will once again vanish, with the bad elements jumping right into the vacuum. And the general public will once again become its old undisciplined and unruly self. Traffic will again be a mess and chaos will descend on the communities. Curses and other profanities will once again split the air, and vandals take over the walls.

There is nothing wrong with putting our best foot forward if we can resolve to keep in step for as long as we could. The problem is, we are notoriously short on resolve. Commitment is not one of our best suits. We are of a character that is more predisposed toward appearances. How sad that in this latest massive nationwide showcasing, we chose for our victim no less than the pope.

I say victim because what we are laying out for him is not truly what we are. And to think that the pope is a man of honesty and simple means. How agonizing it must be for him to stay polite and not say anything that might offend us after all the makeover we have orchestrated for his behalf. How disappointed he must be for not being able to see the Filipino as he is.

One thing we forget about the pope is that he is not a pope for nothing. He was chosen by his peers above everyone else in recognition of his many qualities, not the least of which is his ability to discern the truth through the many layers of accoutrements designed to beguile and bewilder. We can windowdress ourselves till we can no longer recognize our neighbors, but there is no fooling the pope.

 I cannot help but compare our preparations for the pope's visit to that of Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka, there was no fanfare, there was no turning Sri Lankan life and society inside out just to welcome and secure the pope. It was as if everyday life went on in spite of the pope's presence. And I think it allowed the pope a much more honest glimpse of Sri Lanka, thereby allowing him a better grip of what might be needed to promote the faith there.

But here in the Philippines, everything seems so artificial except the faith. I have always believed that the faith of the Filipino is as strong and genuine as it is unassailable. My beef is in the expression of that faith, because we always seem to be seized by the need to overdo ourselves. Faith alone does not seem to suffice. We seem to need to express it in a way that the unintended result is bizarre.

Can you imagine not being allowed to look at the pope from the second floor window of your own house? If the pope knew about this, I am pretty sure he will be grievously wounded in his hurt more than he can ever be wounded by any attacker that security forces seem to dread so much. The pope wants to be with his flock. That is the reason he came. It insults the purpose of his coming to deprive people the opportunity to see him just because of any fear of security threats.

Of course we do not want anything to happen to the pope. But let it be because we do not want anything to happen to him at all, and not just because we do not wish to have that on our conscience. In other words, due diligence is enough for our efforts. We do not have to go overboard over something that even the pope himself knows no one has absolute control of. By just being honest with what we are and what we have, the pope can appreciate us better.