“TELL THE World of His Love” by Trina Belamide is my favorite song that is associated with a papal visit. Although this song was the theme song of World Youth Day 1995, which took place in Manila and coincided with the second visit of Pope John Paul II to the Philippines, I think of Pope Francis when I hear and sing this song.
I find myself humming this song since Easter Monday, when I learned that Pope Francis, my favorite pope, has died.
If there was someone who searched the world for those who have walked astray, led them home, and filled the world’s darkest corners with God’s light, it’s Pope Francis. He really told the world of God’s love by how he lived and loved all of us.
Last week, I wrote about pilgrimage and how we are all pilgrims without knowing that Pope Francis, who chose “Pilgrims of Hope” as the theme of the Jubilee Year 2025, would die the next day. So my reflection has a new dimension now of how Pope Francis has made a significant impact on my life and how he accompanied me in my faith journey as a Filipino Catholic.
Pope Francis was my spiritual director all throughout the pandemic. When we were in lockdown mode, we heard mass streamed live from the Vatican. We joined his pilgrimage every Holy Week and waited with much hope to listen to his “Urbi et Orbi” blessing every Easter and Christmas. I followed him on Twitter, too.
I never felt closer to the Catholic Church than during those dark times and Pope Francis was a calming and comforting presence. He made us realize that “we were all in the same boat, all fragile and misguided, but at the same time, important and necessary, all having to row together, everyone needing mutual comfort.”
His message was clear. We are all in one boat. Iisang bangka tayo.
That metaphor of the boat, tossed on the storm, like the disciples of Jesus, resonated with many of us in our vulnerability.
Pope Francis was shaped by his Jesuit formation (Ignatian spirituality), his pastoral experiences as a priest from Latin America, and Vatican II principles. His moral theology emphasized accompaniment and discernment. He navigated polarities by promoting dialogue and inclusiveness. He molded a Catholic Church that is compassionate and engaged with the world.
He was a vocal critic of global capitalism, consumerism, and ecological exploitation. He denounced “throwaway culture” where everything and everyone is disposable. His vision of “integral ecology united social and environmental justice,” urging solidarity with indigenous peoples, migrants, and refugees.
He championed interfaith and intercultural dialogue. He was not just a religious leader, but a global moral voice who transcended Catholic boundaries to address universal crises.
He made many people, especially those in the margins, feel seen and heard. He promoted joy, hope, and humility. And he urged the Church to embrace “a reality greater than ideas.” He declared that the Church “must be a place of mercy freely given, where everyone can feel welcomed, loved, and forgiven.”
I felt all that in the Catholic Church under the stewardship of Pope Francis. He made me proud of being a Catholic. The Church is definitely not perfect and there are many things about it that I still do not understand or consider to be hypocritical and ridiculous, but Pope Francis helped me focus on the things that are true, good, beautiful, and hopeful about it.
Yes, hope. We are called by Pope Francis to go on a pilgrimage of hope this year. In his recently released book entitled, “Hope: The Autobiography,” Pope Francis acknowledged that “many people today, for various reasons, seem not to believe that a happy future is possible.” He also said that “these fears are to be taken seriously but are not invincible. They can be overcome only if we stop closing ourselves up.”
He explained that fear is “a cage that excludes us from happiness and snatches away the future.” Instead of fear, Pope Francis encouraged all people, especially Christians, to go out, form a community “restless and joyous,” and find happiness and hope in “encounters with others.”
For Pope Francis, the solution to our social problems can be found only in community and in action. We need to accompany others as we cultivate hope. Pilgrimage is something that we do not do alone, but together with other people. And a pilgrimage of hope leads us to collective action. Because only when we have hope are we moved to act.
Pope Francis chose to be buried in the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, a pilgrimage site, which is part of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome, where pilgrims seek spiritual indulgences. It is also a symbol of resilience because, despite earthquakes and renovations, the basilica retains its original 5th-century structure, including 36 ancient marble columns repurposed from Roman temples. It has a layered history as it was built over a pagan temple to Juno. It reflects Rome’s transition from paganism to Christianity, embodying the city’s spiritual evolution.
Even in death, Pope Francis still inspires pilgrimage, celebrates the gift of hope brought by Easter, and keeps telling the world of God’s love.
