A Francis story

In a matter of six days, Pope Francis will arrive in the Philippines, the last leg of his Asian journey which begins in Sri Lanka from January 12 to 15.  He has a full schedule when he arrives in Manila on January 15 but he looks sturdy for a 78-year-old.  The five-day apostolic visit to be in solidarity with 75 million Filipino Catholics is something that, despite physical limitations, he looks forward to.

My thoughts about the momentous event pertain to the media coverage of the papal journey from Rome to Sri Lanka to the Philippines. Aside from the 80 Vatican-accredited media personnel (VAMP) and other journalists affiliated with western media who will cover the Pope’s trip this month, 14 Filipino journalists are also in the coverage team.

9 TV’s Niño Manalo and Pia Hontiveros, Lynda Jumilla Abalos and Ariel Fulgado of ABS-CBN News, Kara David and Melchor Quintos of GMA 7, Arvin Rillera and Jhemmylrut Torres of TV 5, Marco Paolo Bombase and Wilfred Delgado Herrera of Philippines Pool TV represent the TV group.  Joselito Zulueta of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Gregory Ramon of Radyo Veritas, Cicero Roy Lagarde of CBCP News and Jose Adrias Torres of UCAN are also included in the list released by the Catholic Bishops of the Philippines (CBCP).  I presume my media colleagues are all geared up for the ride, not on board the Alitalia plane, but the media assignment of a lifetime.

There are no provincial journalists in the CBCP-accredited media and I wonder if the selection was limited only to Manila-based journalists.  I’m sure senior reporter Ador Mayol of this paper, among other local media guys who are in the loop of the Cebu Archdiocese, are equipped professionally and physically to cover the papal visit.  I guess reporters of community papers will have to slug it out with the rest of the population in getting close to the Pope when he lands in Tacloban and Palo on January 17.

Late last year, I told Ms. Eileen Mangubat, publisher and acting editor-–in-chief of this paper I was interested to cover the papal visit in Palo.  I was confident because I have a network of friends in Tacloban, which is close to the seat of the diocese in Palo.  My friends in the co-operative sector in that area, like Perpetual Help Credit Cooperative, Inc. leaders Flordeliz Menzon and Evelyn Clarin and VICTO National Region 8 coordinator Rodolfo Idano would be able to extend me the necessary logistics.  I already made a mental note of staying in the VICTO House in Tacloban City and talk to friends nearby like Redemptorist Edwin Bacaltos, parish priest of  Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish.

When supertyphoon Haiyan hit Tacloban in November 2013, the church became a sanctuary for thousands of victims.  To my mind, Fr. Edwin was the face of the Philippine Church at that time.  I was looking forward to hear his sentiments now that the Pope is coming to comfort the victims, especially those who continue to live in temporary shelters a year and two months since the deluge.

However, some things are just not meant to be.

* * *

Last October 16 to 18, I had the privilege of attending the centennial of the International Schoenstatt Movement, a Marian and apostolic organization founded by Fr. Joseph Kentenich in October 18, 1914 in Germany. The activities were held in Vallendar, Germany, home of the original shrine of Our Lady of Schoenstatt. There were 22 of us from the Philippines joining other Schoenstatters from North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa.

A highlight of our pilgrimage was an audience with Pope Francis in Rome. This was the last leg of our journey after passing through Switzerland and Florence in Italy. On our way to Switzerland, we passed by Munich where I met a freak accident in which I broke a clavicle in my right shoulder but fortunately the injury didn’t need an operation.  It could have been worse and finding an angel in disguise to help me go through the difficult time was amazing grace. The injury is the reason I can’t be in crowded places.

In any case, I was able to make the trip to Rome where, together with some 8,000 Schoenstatt members, I was able to see Pope Francis, well, not really up close, but it was all worth it because now I have a Francis story to tell.

This was on October 25, the penultimate day of our pilgrimage when we gathered in the St. Paul Auditorium close to  St. Peter’s Basilica.  The Holy Father dialogued with married couples and young pilgrims, a face-to-face encounter which started around 11 in the morning.

As the dialogue went on, the emcee took note that it was past 1 p.m..  He then told Francis that the organizers could  shorten the program because they didn’t want him to miss lunch.

Pope Francis’ reply in Spanish (translated by Vatican radio anchors) went like this:  “I have not heard of a priest who died of hunger!”  It was a spontaneous reaction that brought the house down.