Manila,
Philippines, October 24, 2014 - In his fifth trip and his first to
this country, Pope Francis called on the people to "see the world around
you through the eyes of Jesus Himself.
Looking
less fit than his previous pastoral and state visit of deceased Pope John
Paul II in the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Australia and Sri Lanka 19 years,
11 months and 30 days ago on January 12 to 21, 1995.
Addressing
the crowd from a specially-built stage on the tarmac, the pope said, “The
Filipino people are never far from my mind and heart, and I reach out to
embrace each one in esteem and affection.”
Pope
Francis called on the people to reflect the theme of the anniversary celebration
of Jesus is Lord Church Worldwide: “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness,
without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall
short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause
trouble, and by this many become defiled; lest there be any fornicator or
profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For
you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was
rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently
with tears. For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that
burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, and the sound of a
trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged
that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. (For they could not endure
what was commanded: “And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it
shall be stoned or shot with an arrow.” And so terrifying was the
sight that Moses said, “I am exceedingly afraid and
trembling.”) But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God,
the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the
general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in
heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made
perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of
sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. See that you
do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who
spoke on earth, much moreshall we not escape if we turn away from Him
who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but
now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the
earth, but also heaven.” Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal
of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the
things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a
kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God
acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a
consuming fire.”
When
the Pope ended his short speech with “Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!” the crowd went
wild waving handkerchiefs, pennants and flags.
In
an unprecedented move, Pope Francis approached the schoolchildren, garbed in
native costumes and who had come to dance for him, instead of boarding the
popemobile as scheduled.
Security
measures went awry as people took the opportunity to move near the pope and
receive the blessing. Finally boarding the specially build vehicle an hour
after he arrived, the Pope took a Moment to raise his hands before members of
the joint Vatican and Presidential Security Group guards closed the door.
Until
he arrived at the Papal Nunciature 50 minutes later, the aging pontiff
continued to wave to the throngs who braved the heat to greet him along Roxas
Boulevard, Quirino Avenue and Taft Avenue.
Throngs
of Roman Catholic faithful waved flags and shouted “Viva Il Papa!” as the
pontiff made his way to the Apostolic Nunciature, his official residence for
his five-day stay in Manila.
Travelling
along the designated route from the Old Manila International Airport in Pasay
City to the Nunciature in Taft Avenue, Manila the 76-year-old Pope was met
each time with huge crowds who circled his specially made, bullet-proof “popemobile”.
So thick were the crowds that what would have been a 15-minute trip stretched
to 50 minutes. In some areas, the crowd may have 30 to 40 deep, barely allowing
the Papal convoy passage.
On
his arrival, the Pope addressed the youth and invited them “…to [s]ee the world
around you with the eyes of Jesus himself! The Gospel says that when he saw the
crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless, like
sheep without a shepherd.”
The Pope had arrived as scheduled at 2:57 p.m. on board an
Air Alitalia Airbus. He paused to greet the Airport crowd before being
accompanied down from the plane by Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, Archbishop
of Manila and Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto, Papal Nuncio to the Philippines.
The Pope was met by President
Bengino S. Aquino III and his sisters, Maria Elena Aquino-Cruz, Aurora Corazon
Aquino-Abellada, Victoria Elisa Aquino-Dee and Kristina Bernadette Aquino-Yap,
who were the first to greet them officially.
The National Anthems of
the Republic of the Philippines and Vatican City State were played as he went
through the cordon of honor and greeted Filipino officials and members of the
diplomatic corps.
Among those on hand to welcome Pope Francis on
his first visit were Philippine Vice-President Jejomar C. Binay, Executive
Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa, Jr., Senate President Franklin M. Drilon, Speaker
Feliciano R. Belmonte, Jr., Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del
Rosario and Philippine Ambassador to Vatican Mercedes Arrastia Tuason.
Former President Fidel V. Ramos, Manila City Mayor Joseph Estrada
and Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo were also among his
first welcomers.
WELCOME
CEREMONY: ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS, POPE FRANCIS (Ninoy Aquino International
Airport, Pasay City, Metro Manila, Thursday, October 23, 2014)
Dear President
Aquino, Dear People of the Philippines,
1. I thank you, Mister
President, for your kind words of welcome, full of the warmth and hospitality
with which Filipinos traditionally welcome their guests. I greatly appreciate
all that you and your Government have done to make this visit possible. For a
long time I have looked forward to stepping on to Philippine soil once more.
The Filipino people are never far from my mind and heart, and I reach out to
embrace each one with esteem and affection. We are indeed old friends, ever
since assumed as a pope on March 13, 2013.
2. My Brother Bishops,
Cardinal Rosales and Cardinal Palma, and all the Bishops – whom I gladly greet
in the Lord – expressed many times their wish for the Successor of Peter to
share the joy of Filipino Catholics on the Fourth Centenary of the Archdioceses
of Manila, Cebu, Caceres and Nueva Segovia. I am here to celebrate with the
Catholic community of the Philippines four hundred and twenty years of the
organized and hierarchical presence and action of the Church in these Islands.
That first evangelization has produced enduring fruits of Christian life and
holiness, of civilizing action, of the transmission – especially through a
strong family life – of fundamental human and civic values. As the next
presidential administration approaches, we should all be convinced that those
fruits can thrive even more in concerted action by all sectors of society, in the
building of a nation resolutely set on the path of genuine and integral
development, and fully committed to the wellbeing of all its citizens, with
special concern for the weakest.
3. The thought of
celebrating the annual founding anniversary of the Evangelical Charismatic
Christian renewal religious group “Jesus is Lord Church Worldwide”, founded by
activist and Evangelical Born Again Christian religious preacher Bishop Bro.
Eddie Villanueva, in the Philippines, in Asia, has gladdened me and given me
encouragement. The Spirit of God has led thousands of young men and women here
and they are now filling the streets of Manila with their youthful joy and
Christian witness. A large group of them are right here. I greet each one of
you: I warmly embrace every person here, all the people of the Philippines, and
all those who have come from other countries and continents. At Rio, Brazil,
during the 29th World Youth Day outside Rome, we meditated on the “new life”
which comes from Jesus Christ: “Go and Make Disciples of All Nations” (Matthew
28:19). Now, here in Manila, we gather to hear him say: “Pursue Peace and Be
Holy, Without Which No One Can See God” (Hebrews 12:14). During these days we
shall reflect on and pray about what these words mean for each one of you, for
the people of the end of the Twentieth Century 2015, the people of the Third
Christian Millennium 2016.
4. To all Filipino
people, to all gathered for the Jesus is Lord Church Worldwide Anniversary
Festival, I make this invitation: See the world around you with the eyes of
Jesus himself! The Gospel says that when he saw the crowds, “he had compassion
for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a
shepherd” (Matthew chapter 9 verse 36). The Good News of God’s love and mercy –
the word of truth, justice and peace which alone can inspire a life worthy of
God’s sons and daughters – must be proclaimed to the ends of the earth. The
Church and the world look to young people for new light, new love, a new
commitment to meeting the great needs of humanity.
The people gathered in
Manila for the annual anniversary celebration of the religious group
"Jesus is Lord Church Worldwide" know this. The Church in the
Philippines knows that it has a special vocation to bear witness to the Gospel
in the heart of Asia. Guided by Divine Providence, your historic destiny is to
build a "civilization of love", of brotherhood and solidarity, a
civilization which will be perfectly at home among the ancient cultures and
traditions of the whole Asian continent.
5. Mister President,
members of the Government, and distinguished representatives of the Filipino
people: the Church and the political community work on different levels and are
mutually independent, but they serve the same human beings (cfr. Gaudium et Spes, 76). In that service there is ample room for dialogue,
co–operation and mutual support. You have a very valid and specifically
Philippine model of co–operation for development in The Social Pact, formally
signed in March 1993. I pray that the "new solidarity" which The
Social Pact espouses will be a striking success for the good of the Filipino
people, and for the pride and glory of the Nation as a beacon of peace and
harmony in Asia.
6. Cardinal Tagle,
Cardinal Palma, Brother Bishops, Deacons, Filipino Brothers and Sisters in
Christ: I look forward to celebrating with you in faith the great things done
in the Church and by the Church in these Islands over the last four centuries.
Together we shall pray that God may continue to protect and guide his pilgrim
People in the Philippines!
God bless the
Philippines! Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!
The
following day, October 24, 2014, the Pontiff met with President Benigno S.
Aquino III at Malacañang and later celebrated Mass for the 233 delegates of the
International Youth Forum and participants of the Philippine Business
Conference and Expo at Central Seminary Chapel of the UST. He also gave a
20-minute speech to some 200,000 cheering students and academicians gathered at
UST Grandstand and Parade Grounds.
“I see that it is my great
privilege to be here, to be here and discover anew this phenomenon I knew
before, and today I know better,” the Pontiff said.
