Encounter with the Pope

It’s been a while since my last blog post. I wanted to share some photos and experiences I had in the past few my months but I couldn’t find the time and strength to write because real life got in the way. Anyhow, today I was inspired to write about my encounter with Pope Francis during his recent visit in the Philippines.

This is the second time I have seen a Pope in person. The first was when Pope John Paul II, now St. John Paul II, visited the Philippines in 1995. It was a spontaneous encounter and I was just nine years old then. My family and I were leisurely strolling somewhere in Makati when my Mom heard that the Pope will pass by the area, so we cancelled our plans and decided to wait by the road where the Pope will pass. It’s been 20 years but I can still remember the feeling when Pope John Paul II passed by in front of us. It’s hard to put words into the feeling – it was somehow surreal, electrifying, emotional and festive.

Fast forward 20 years later, these are the same feelings I felt when Pope Francis passed by in front of me, my sister and cousin, and the millions of Filipinos waiting to catch even the slightest glimpse of him. Like our first encounter with Pope John Paul II, our encounter with Pope Francis was spontaneous. We didn’t have any plans to personally attend his mass or ceremonies. We were contented to watch him on TV. After all, it was a 5-day work holiday and we all have our own holiday plans but our Catholic faith got the better of us. I asked my sister and my cousin if they wanted to go with me and see the Pope on his way to the airport before his flight back to Rome. Turns out they were thinking the same thing.

We arrived at the airport gate at five in the morning, five hours before his scheduled flight, but there were already throngs of people waiting for the Pope to arrive. The atmosphere was light and festive in spite of the fact that each of the people there had to sacrifice just to see the Pope. We were lucky to be blessed with a beautiful weather but had to endure standing under the sun for hours along with thousands of people in slightly muddy soil. Yet, no one complained.

And then finally Pope Francis passed by in front of us and I felt the same feeling I felt when I saw Pope John Paul II in person 20 years ago – electrifying. The few seconds that he was in our line of vision felt like minutes long. It was surreal and my hands and legs were shaking. Everyone was so excited when they saw the Pope that no one was bothered even if they were pushed and shoved around. Thanks to modern technology I was able to conveniently record that special moment.

The whole experience was amazing. It’s a special celebration for us, Filipinos, that Pope Francis took time to visit us. We know that Pope Francis is not God that he’s just human like all of us. But we Filipinos like and love him so much because he’s a compassionate and humble Pope. His teachings are timely and relevant and he leads by example – a characteristic of a good and true Catholic leader.