FULL TEXT: Pope Francis speech at Malacaang

January 16, 2015 10:36am

Below is the full text of Pope Francis' speech at Malacaang after his courtesy call on President Aquino on Friday,
Jan. 16.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I thank you, Mr President, for your kind welcome and for your words of greeting in the name of the authorities and
people of the Philippines, and the distinguished members of the Diplomatic Corps. I am most grateful for your
invitation to visit the Philippines.
My visit is above all pastoral.
It comes as the Church in this country is preparing to celebrate the fifth centenary of the first proclamation of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ on these shores. The Christian message has had an immense influence on Filipino culture.
It is my hope that this important anniversary will point to its continuing fruitfulness and its potential to inspire a society
worthy of the goodness, dignity and aspirations of the Filipino people.
In a particular way, this visit is meant to express my closeness to our brothers and sisters who endured the suffering,
loss and devastation caused by Typhoon Yolanda.
Together with many people throughout the world, I have admired the heroic strength, faith and resilience
demonstrated by so many Filipinos in the face of this natural disaster, and so many others.
Those virtues, rooted not least in the hope and solidarity instilled by Christian faith, gave rise to an outpouring of
goodness and generosity, especially on the part of so many of the young. In that moment of national crisis, countless
people came to the aid of their neighbors in need.
At great sacrifice, they gave of their time and resources, creating networks of mutual help and working for the
common good.
This example of solidarity in the work of rebuilding teaches us an important lesson. Like a family, every society draws
on its deepest resources in order to face new challenges.
Today the Philippines, together with many other countries in Asia, faces the challenge of building on solid foundations
a modern society a society respectful of authentic human values, protective of our God-given human dignity and
rights, and ready to confront new and complex political and ethical questions.
As many voices in your nation have pointed out, it is now, more than ever, necessary that political leaders be
outstanding for honesty, integrity and commitment to the common good. In this way they will help preserve the rich
human and natural resources with which God has blessed this country.
Thus will they be able to marshall the moral resources needed to face the demands of the present, and to pass on to
coming generations a society of authentic justice, solidarity and peace.
Essential to the attainment of these national goals is the moral imperative of ensuring social justice and respect for
human dignity. The great biblical tradition enjoins on all peoples the duty to hear the voice of the poor.
It bids us break the bonds of injustice and oppression which give rise to glaring, and indeed scandalous, social
inequalities. Reforming the social structures which perpetuate poverty and the exclusion of the poor first requires a
conversion of mind and heart.
The Bishops of the Philippines have asked that this year be set aside as the Year of the Poor.
I hope that this prophetic summons will challenge everyone, at all levels of society, to reject every form of corruption
which diverts resources from the poor, and to make concerted efforts to ensure the inclusion of every man and
woman and child in the life of the community.
A fundamental role in the renewal of society is played, of course, by the family and especially by young people.

A highlight of my visit will be my meetings with families and with young people here in Manila.
Families have an indispensable mission in society. It is in the family that children are trained in sound values, high
ideals and genuine concern for others.
But like all Gods gifts, the family can also be disfigured and destroyed. It needs our support. We know how difficult it
is for our democracies today to preserve and defend such basic human values as respect for the inviolable dignity of
each human person, respect for the rights of conscience and religious freedom, and respect for the inalienable right
to life, beginning with that of the unborn and extending to that of the elderly and infirm.
For this reason, families and local communities must be encouraged and assisted in their efforts to transmit to our
young the values and the vision which can help bring about a culture of integrity one which honors goodness,
truthfulness, fidelity and solidarity as the firm foundation and the moral glue which holds society together.
Mr President, distinguished authorities, dear friends:
As I begin my visit to this country, I cannot fail to mention the Philippines important role in fostering understanding
and cooperation among the countries of Asia.
I would also mention the oft-neglected yet real contribution of Filipinos of the diaspora to the life and welfare of the
societies in which they live.
It is precisely in the light of the rich cultural and religious heritage of which your country is proud that I leave you with
a challenge and a word of prayerful encouragement.
May the deepest spiritual values of the Filipino people continue to find expression in your efforts to provide your
fellow citizens with an integral human development.
In this way, each person will be able to fulfill his or her potential, and thus contribute wisely and well to the future of
this country.
I am confident that the praiseworthy efforts to promote dialogue and cooperation between the followers of the
different religions will prove fruitful in the pursuit of this noble goal.
In a particular way, I express my trust that the progress made in bringing peace to the south of the country will result
in just solutions in accord with the nations founding principles and respectful of the inalienable rights of all, including
the indigenous peoples and religious minorities.
Upon all of you, and upon all the men, women and children of this beloved nation, I cordially invoke Gods abundant
blessings.

So, for everyone who was inspired by the Philippine papal visit, and seriously wants to practice/live up to the
teachings of Pope Francis, heres six lessons and 12 quotes which can serve as guides:

1. Corruption is something everyone must fight against

I hope that this prophetic summons will challenge everyone, at all levels of society, to reject every form of corruption
which diverts resources from the poor, and to make concerted efforts to ensure the inclusion of every man and
woman and child in the life of the community. Pope Francis, Malacaang Speech, Jan. 16 2015
2. Protecting the environment requires more than just putting your garbage in the trash can
A second key area where you are called to make a contribution is in showing concern for the environment. This is
not only because this country, more than many others, is likely to be seriously affected by climate change Respect
for the environment means more than simply using cleaner products or recycling what we use. These are important
aspects, but not enough. Pope Francis, Undelivered Speech to the Youth Encounter, Jan. 18 2015
3. Use your talents to serve the people and defend the poor
Bilang Kristiyanao, miyembro ng pamilya ng Diyos, tinatawag tayo upang hanapin at paglingkuran ag lahat ng mga
nangangailangan Pope Francis, on Twitter, January 18 2015
This is the challenge that life offers you: to learn how to love. Not just to accumulate information without knowing
what to do with it What you think, you must feel and put into effect. Your information comes down to your heart and
you put it into practice. Pope Francis, Speech to the Youth Encounter, January 18 2015
4. Theres no other way but to change society
Through sin, man has also destroyed the unity and beauty of our human family, creating social structures which
perpetuate poverty, ignorance and corruption. Pope Francis, Homily for the Luneta Mass, January 18 2015
The Church in the Philippines is called to acknowledge and combat the causes of the deeply rooted inequality and
injustice which mar the face of Filipino society, plainly
contradicting the teaching of Christ Pope Francis, Homily for the Manila Cathedral Mass, January 16 2015
It bids us break the bonds of injustice and oppression which give rise to glaring, and indeed scandalous, social
inequalities. Malacanang Speech
5. Collective action is the key
The Gospel calls individual Christians to live lives of honesty, integrity and concern for the common good. But it also
calls Christian communities to create circles of integrity, networks of solidarity which can expand to embrace and
transform society by their prophetic witness. Homily for the Manila Cathedral Mass
6. We cant act towards change without seeing things from the eyes of the poor
How many young people among you are like this? You know how to give and yet you have ever learned how to
receive. You still lack one thing. Become a beggar. This is what you still lack To learn how to receive with humility.
To learn to be evangelized by the poor, by those we help, the sick, orphans, they have so much to give us This is
what helps you mature in your commitment to give to others. Learn how to open your hand from your very own
poverty. Speech to the Youth Encounter
Only by becoming poor ourselves, by stripping away our complacency, will we be able to identify with the least of our
brothers and sisters. We will see things in a new light and thus respond with honesty and integrity to the challenge of
proclaiming the radicalism of the Gospel in a society which has grown comfortable with social exclusion, polarization
and scandalous inequality. Homily for the Manila Cathedral Mass
The great biblical tradition enjoins on all peoples the duty to hear the voice of the poor. Malacanang Speech

January 15
9:40am Quezon City
One reason why progressive Catholics should welcome Pope Francis: The Pope recently said it is important that
Archbishop Romeros (assassinated by right-wing military groups) beatification the precursor to becoming a saint
be done quickly. Conservative Catholics have tried to minimize the political significance of the popes stance by
asserting that the archbishop, though a champion of the poor, never fully embraced liberation theology. Next, he lifted
a ban from saying Mass imposed nearly 30 years ago upon Rev. Miguel dEscoto Brockmann, who had been
suspended as a priest for serving as foreign minister in Nicaraguas revolutionary Sandinista government in the same
era. There is no ambiguity about the position on liberation theology of Father dEscoto, who once called President
Ronald Reagan a butcher and an international outlaw. Later, as president of the United Nations General Assembly,
Father dEscoto condemned American acts of aggression in Iraq and Afghanistan.
9:46am Quezon City
Of course Pope Francis had been silent during the great reign of terror of military junta in Argentina in 1970s (after
Peronism). But 15 years later, after undergoing what he has called a great interior crisis, he became Bishop of the
Slums in Buenos Aires and revised his views. Over the following decades he rehabilitated key figures in liberation
theology in Argentina and supported the kind of bottom-up initiatives that the Vatican, with its top-down authoritarian
model of governance, had so feared. Kaya yong mga reactionaries, may pagasa pang magbago yan ideological
conversion.

2:34pm Quezon City

The dominant media discourse on Papal visit is: lets unite so that the Pope will be safe! Lets show our discipline as
a people. Now, the threat comes from the people themselves and therefore they have to control themselves! This
discourse is the police discourse of the high priests during the time of Jesus. They cried, Lets minimize the social
unrest brought by this Man. And like the high priests, Pharisees during Jesus time, our government and including
some church people, are more worried of the security more than the message of the Pope: Away with the tyranny of
money, down with market capitalism!

Corbis Images
3:55pm
So, you thought it is only Pope Francis that is pro-poor? Youre wrong! Pope Paul VI visited Tondo in 1970. Speaking
in Tondo, Paul VI said strong words: What does it mean that the Church loves you? It means first of all that the
Church recognizes your dignity as human beings, recognizes your equality as children of God. Recognizes that the

preference we owned to you it is because you have many needs both material and spiritual. Here I feel the obligation
to proclaim, more than anywhere else, the recognition of the human rights, for you and for all the worlds poor.
Therefore, I must also say that the Church has to love you, assist you and help you, even with practical means
through her generous service in order to foster your economic and social liberation, reminding herself and the civil
society to effectively recognize your rights as people of this world. Yan ang dapat na mangibabaw sa media!
4:37pm
Pope John Paul IIs criticisms of Marcos and Imelda (he refused to stay at Coconut Palace built by Imelda), should
apply to Noynoy: Any apparent conflict between the exigencies of security and of the citizens basic rights must be
resolved according to the fundamental principleupheld always by the Churchthat social organization exists only
for the service of man and for the protection of his dignity, and that it cannot claim to serve the common good when
human rights are not safeguarded. Free all political detainees!
7:42pm
Why this overwhelming feeling of awe and the feeling of wanting to cry, shout for joy upon seeing the Pope? Its
charisma! Its an aura that surrounds a person that attracts people. Charisma is heightened through collective
emotional currents. Is it inborn? No! Charisma is made and manufactured through mass media projection and mega
coverage! The mass media hypersimulates the charisma of the Pope that Pacquiaos and One Directions auras pale
in comparison! And people interpret this as a miracle, a numinous feeling. Remember, if Jorge Bergoglio is an
ordinary priest, he will not have this charisma. In the same manner, Pope John Paul II already visited the Philippines
before he became Pope and no one noticed him. Charisma is conferred on people with power! And the people have
to recognize it. Both Cory Aquino and Noynoy have powers, but they lacked charisma. Walang pumansin kay Noynoy
at mga kawatan after the protocol greetings! Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Che Guevarra, Fidel Castro have all the same aura
sa Pope Francis! Charismatic!
8:34pm
Walang himala! The poor people who waited patiently for Pope Francis, just to have a glimpse of the Pope, simply
wanted to see him in the hope that their lives will be different, that their sickness will be healed! It speaks against our
government and society its failure to provide better health services and its inability to narrow income inequality
between the 10 richest Filipinos who own 70% of all the wealth and the majority who have to struggle to survive!
Thats the structural cause of Pope Francis popularity! Hes hoped to be the Messiah! So, when he leaves on
Monday, dreams are shattered!

9:05pm
Pope Francis: The Marxist ideology is wrong. But I have met many Marxists in my life who are good people, so I
dont feel offended. It means: Christians need not claim they are Marxists to work with them! Yan ang true unity and
ecumenism!

January 16
12:34pm
Pres. Aquino attacked the radical priests while commending yellow ones who applaud his anti-people policies:
Hence, there was a true test of faith when many members of the Church, once advocates for the poor, the
marginalized, and the helpless, suddenly became silent in the face of the previous administrations abuses, which we
are still trying to rectify to this very day. In these attempts at correcting the wrongs of the past, one would think that
the Church would be our natural ally. In contrast to their previous silence, some members of the clergy now seem to
think that the way to be true to the faith means finding something to criticize, even to the extent that one prelate
admonished me to do something about my hair, as if it were a mortal sin. Is it any wonder then, that they see the
glass not as half-full, or half-empty, but almost totally empty. Judgment is rendered without an appreciation of the
facts. Liberation theology, that you boasted of knowing, does not sanction cooperating with a corrupt government!
The Church of the poor is a prophetic church that denounces the structural evils spawned by the neoliberal policies of
US-Aquino Regime! Dont ever tell the radical priests what to do! You dont own them just as you dont own Hacienda
Luisita.
2:19pm
The Pope told the Filipino religious and clergies at Manila Cathedral As the Bishops of the Philippines have rightly
taught, the Church in the Philippines is called to acknowledge and combat the causes of the deeply rooted inequality
and injustice which mar the face of Filipino society, plainly contradicting the teaching of Christ. The Gospel calls
individual Christians to live lives of honesty, integrity and concern for the common good. But it also calls Christian
communities to create circles of integrity, networks of solidarity which can expand to embrace and transform society
by their prophetic witness. Really? The Church has taught it, but is she in solidarity with the people in transforming
our society other than giving the usual charity works? We expect the Church now to be vocal against mining,
demolitions, unemployment! Masyado lang silang maingay sa issue ng abortion at kabaklaan!
2:29pm
Many Filipino Catholics say poverty for priests and religious only means poverty in spirit while having so many
luxurious possessions! Kaya maraming nabiyayaan si Napoles! Niyari sila ni Pope sa Manila Cathedral: For all of us,
it means living lives that reflect the poverty of Christ, whose entire life was focused on doing the will of the Father and
serving others. The great danger to this, of course, is a certain materialism which can creep into our lives and
compromise the witness we offer. Only by becoming poor ourselves, by stripping away our complacency, will we be
able to identify with the least of our brothers and sisters. We will see things in a new light and thus respond with
honesty and integrity to the challenge of proclaiming the radicalism of the Gospel in a society which has grown
comfortable with social exclusion, polarization and scandalous inequality. Tama na ang pag-inarte, tama na yang
special treatment, at living luxurious lives in airconditioned convents, wifi seminary! Be poor! Tagal nang sinabi yan ng
liberation theologians!
2:41pm
Kung ginawa lang itong advise ni Pope Francis ng mga seminarista at religious, wala sanang nagpakamatay na
mga iskolar ng bayan dahil walang pambayad ng tuition fee (sa sermon nya sa Manila Cathedral): Here I would like
to address a special word to the young priests, religious and seminarians among us. I ask you to share the joy and
enthusiasm of your love for Christ and the Church with everyone, but especially with your peers. Be present to young
people who may be confused and despondent, yet continue to see the Church as their friend on the journey and a
source of hope. Be present to those who, living in the midst of a society burdened by poverty and corruption, are

broken in spirit, tempted to give up, to leave school and to live on the streets. Asan sila nang marami ang nagputa na
students dahil walang pambayad sa school?
3:01pm
To detain or not detain the street kids! Whether it is a hoax or not, we have to listen to Pope Francis sermon at
Manila Cathedral: Christ died for all so that, having died in him, we might live no longer for ourselves but for him (cf.
2 Cor 5:15). We live to have a PhD, to have an MA, to earn well, to have many awards, not for ourselves but for the
street children and the scums of this planet! If you dont accept this truth, then, you are the worst lying Christian I
have ever met! Worse than Pharisees!
3:20pm
If there is a Pope, there is an anti-Christ, anti-Pope! Si Ayn Rand yon, who contradicted all the teachings of Mercy
and Compassion when she wrote: Americas abundance was created not by public sacrifices to the common good,
but by the productive genius of free men who pursued their own personal interests and the making of their own
private fortunes. They did not starve the people to pay for Americas industrialization. They gave the people better
jobs, higher wages, and cheaper goods with every new machine they invented, with every scientific discovery or
technological advance- and thus the whole country was moving forward and profiting, not suffering, every step of the
way. Wow! Yan ang Mama ng mga ganid, swapang at mang-aalipin! Dedicated to people who posted Rands letter to
a niece here at FB yesterday. Careful of philosophers you follow.
0:24pm
The Pope will not satisfy everyone! The non-Catholics hate him for eclipsing the popularity of their religion! Some
born again thinks he is the anti-Christ who wears the ring of Lucifer. Others think he is fueling fanaticism! The
Catholics of course think he is the Christ on earth. They both misunderstood the message of the Pope whether you
are Catholic or not, born again or fundamentalist, we all have the duty to address poverty, inequality, and corruption. I
have no problem with fanaticism, if that is channeled towards dismantling capitalism. I have no problem with seeing
the Pope as Christ on earth, if you define Christ as the wretched of the earth. But I have a problem with calling the
Pope the anti-Christ. Because it originally referred to the Roman Empire. US imperialism and their allies are the antiChrist.
January 17
9:37am
Kung gaano kagalit ang Taclobanon kay Pres. Aquino nang bumisita siya sa Tacloban, ganun naman ang kasabikan
at mainit na pagsalubong nila kay Pope Francis. Aquino said to the Pope in Malacanang: The Gospel challenges
each member of the Church to go beyond almsgiving and mere charity, and to be concerned with injustice in temporal
mattersThese teachings have been central to my familys advocacy, which is understandable considering what we,
along with millions of Filipinos, went through under the dictatorship. If that teaching has been central to your familys
advocacy, how come Taclobanons hated you for abandoning them? How come Hacienda Luisita is still with the
Cojuangco-Aquinos? Pres. Aquino is the greatest hypocrite and liar in the history of Philippine presidents! Truly,
Jesus is right: Now all who say Lord, Lord will be saved! especially Pres. Aquino

9:55am
Ganda ng message ni Pope sa Yolanda survivors! Naiyak ako! Very beautiful and lyrical statements, not
sophisticated theodicy or excuses for God! He said, I have nothing to say to you but silence. I am with you in heart.
You ask why God let these things happen to you. I have no answer. But we know God is with you on the Cross. For
Jesus also suffered the same fate. He was abandoned on the cross. Very comforting for people who are asking:
where is God in these great moments when evil seems to be completely triumphant over the good? When justice is
absolutely annihilated! Silence. Solidarity. Grabe! In the face of total defeat, of complete abjection, we have to bear
the silence of Godtheres no reason. Grabe talaga.
10:06am
Tinamaan ako ng message ni Pope Francis: I read many theodicies in the seminary, a branch of theology that
explains evil and suffering in the world. John Hick said sufferings are necessary for our evolution. Thomas Aquinas
said it is to purify our souls. Luther argued it is a punishment for our sins. The born again pastors told me it is for a
higher purpose. But when you are confronted with real sufferings, the thousands who survived the Yolanda, the
hundreds who were tortured by military, those abducted and killed in the struggle for justice, farmers who were
slaughtered by the state, what do these theodicies mean? What is the proper response? Atheism? Atheism is an easy
way out! The Pope simply followed the Cross: I have nothing to say but to be with you in your suffering! Indeed, one
cannot be a Christian without undergoing the Black Friday! No Black Friday, No Christianity! No worst defeat, no
triumph!
11:01am
My dear friends, when the Pope and liberation theologians say: In the face of total annihilation of justice, in the face
of massive state-inflicted suffering, mass arrest and extrajudicial killings, we cannot comfort the defeated poor by
rational justifications, except by silent solidarity with the wretched of this world, they are not advocating passive
resignation. This silence is expressed by ex-priest Fr. Jimmy (Philip Savador) in Ora Pro Nobis. The last scene, when
Fr. Jimmy helplessly embraces his dead son after being killed by the right-wing, anti-communist vigilantes, in
complete silence, is the most powerful expression of solidarity, of the great unquenchable thirst for justice. And what
Fr. Jimmy does afterwardsthats the direction we should move in. In silence, we gather strength to struggle in
behalf of those who died in the hands of torturers!
12:48pm
President Aquino is a product of Jesuit education, yet he is clueless as to what loving the poor means, what church
of the poor, for the poor means, that Pope Francis talked about. Heres Pope Francis: This entails appreciating the
poor in their goodness, in their experience of life, in their culture, and in their ways of living the faith. True love is
always contemplative, and permits us to serve the other not out of necessity or vanity, but rather because he or she is
beautiful above and beyond mere appearances The poor are blessed not because they are righteous, good,
morally upright, and physically beautiful. In fact, they are the most obnoxious people in the world. But by loving them,
they become beautiful! Di mo gets kasi middle class na mabango ka? Look at the Cross! Its the ugliest image of
God. But it is a symbol of liberation! Mahalin mo ang mahirap. Period!

2:37pm
Just because the Pope said God is with us when we suffer does not mean suffering is good! Di po religion ng
masochism ang Christianity! We dont and we shouldnt seek suffering for the sake of suffering! Nakaabang na ang
mga atheists to demolish our arguments! Kaya nagiging atheists sila kasi sa mga kagaguhan ng interpretation nyo!
God does not wish us to suffer! But God is willing to share with our suffering. Di lahat ng suffering ay chosen and
voluntary. Most sufferings are not natural (wala tayong magagawa run). Most sufferings are unnecessary, results of
evil ones inflicting pain on the poor. Poverty is not good! Starvation, malnutrition, imperialism, unemployment, rape of
young women are not good! Gago ka ba! We dont simply accept them as Gods gift. Jesus died on the Cross
because he fought these man-inflicted pains and sufferings. So stop saying the Pope is a masochist!
6:37pm
Marami nagsasabi sa FB gusto na raw nilang bumalik sa pagiging Catholic! Sure kayo? By making Pope Francis as
a rock star, like turning Slavoj Zizek into a rock star intellectual, sucks away dry all the radical and revolutionary
implications of his teachings so that we can be Catholics minus the radical demand to belong to the poor church: It
is not enough to offer someone a sandwich unless it is accompanied by the possibility of learning how to stand on
ones own two feet. Charity that leaves the poor person as he or she is, is not sufficient. True mercy, the mercy God
gives to us and teaches us, demands justice; it demands that the poor find the way to be poor no longer. Pope
Francis

6:51pm
How does the mass media decaffeinate Pope Francis anti-capitalist stance? By proclaiming him the Peoples Pope
just like Many Pacquiao, the peoples Champ, rather than the Pope of the Poor!
7:06pm
An authentic faith which is never comfortable or completely personal always involves a deep desire to change
the world, to transmit values, to leave this earth somehow better that we found it. Pope Francis
7:25pm
What does solidarity with the poor means? Pope Francis: The word solidarity is a little worn and at times poorly
understood, but it refers to something more than a few sporadic acts of generosity. It presumes the creation of a new
mindset which thinks in terms of community and the priority of the life of all over the appropriation of goods by a few.
That life of solidarity is lived to the fullest extent by Father Camilo Torres Restrepo, a Colombian socialist, Roman
Catholic priest, and a member of the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla organisation who said: If Jesus were
alive today, He would be a guerrillero.

7:41pm
Why do activists love more than ordinary people? Because Thomas Aquinas once argued that those closest to us do
not have an exclusive claim to our beneficence. Aquinas said, One ought, for instance, to succor a stranger, in
extreme necessity, rather than ones own father, if he is not in such urgent need. Kaya yong iba galit sa tibak: mas
mahal pa raw nila yong ibang tao kaysa pamilya nila! Tandaan po natin: what divine merit will you get for loving
people from whom you will receive a reward? Sa mga strangers wala! Thats true love!
10:28pm
Religion, like love, is not about reason! You can articulate it, you can explain it, but language cannot express to the
fullest the meaning of love or religion. The problem with Christians is they accept the discourse of the atheists the
discourse of reason. And they dont know they can never win in that realm. The moment they enter the door of
reason, theyre defeated. They are stuck with calculation and justification rather than loving, leap of faith. The
moment you doubt the revolution and begin to weigh all the evidences, youre stuck with agnosticism. Follow
Augustine love, then, understand.
.
10:48pm
Pope Francis to Taclobanons Let us respect a moment of silence together and look to Christ on the cross. He
understands us because he endured everything. Only a suffering God can help us! Kaya useless yong A thinking
God can save us! Kung di ka nakaranas magmahal at mabigo, tumahimik ka at wag kang mag advise sa taong sawi!
You dont know what its like. Magandang gabi!

11:14pm
Sayang, part ng message sana ni Pope Francis sa Palo Cathedral: Above all, I ask that the poor throughout this
country be treated fairly that their dignity be respected, that political and economic policies be just and inclusive,
that opportunities for employment and education be developed, and that obstacles to the delivery of social services
be removed. Our treatment of the poor is the criterion on which each of us will be judged (cf. Mt 25:40, 45). I ask all of
you, and all responsible for the good of society, to renew your commitment to social justice and the betterment of the
poor, both here and in the Philippines as a whole. The Pope is basically saying that we reverse the effects of
privatization, commercialization, deregulation of our economy, and the state should begin providing free social
services for the poor! Greater budget for education, health, housing, and employment.
10:19am
The testimonies of these children, our social conscience, are denunciations of our own social values, the rottenness
and hypocrisy of our false generosity that allows children to be exploited by reducing national budget for
education, health, and other social services! If these poor children could only see the evils of our society, they will
never ask God why He abandons them! No, it is not God who abandoned the poor children! Its our highly inequitable
society that pushes for sterilization of women, blaming their insatiable wombs for poverty that push our children to

hopelessness. And the speech of the UST law student is simply the rant of the typical middle class student of private
school. The Pope has not heard the story of Lumad children displaced by militarization in Davao.
10:47am
Ayan na ang inaantay nyong gender issues: Women are able to pose questions that men cannot understand!
Ganda ng analysis nya sa batang babae: In tears she expressed the question that cannot be answered! Ganda!
Yan ang feminist theology! God is a woman! Only when we can cry with people who suffer can we understand the
question. When the heart is able to cry, then we can understand! Overwhelmingdeep and profound theology of
solidarity, while lambasting capitalist and neoliberal compassion magbigay lang tapos move on na. We must be
able to cry and weep! Yan ang kulang sa atin. Very moving words the way of Virgin Mary who let go of her son for
the revolution.
11:01am
The Pope asked, What is the most important subject that you have to learn in the university? To love! Our
universities are simply teaching our students how to be good capitalists, entrepreneurs, multiskilled, corporate CEOs,
how to calculate cost and benefits, how to memorize philosophies and economic equations, to amass honors and
diplomas. Yet they neglect the most important meaning of life -to love and to weep! Very feminist, very radical, very
anti-corporatization of universities. This is a good antidote to K-12 program, internationalization, and massive lay off
of GE teachers because of K-12 reforms! These reforms do not teach students how to love but simply teach them to
be employable!
11:20am
Please, lets not trivialize the speech of the Pope! Lets not add to mass media frenzy of taking the sting out of
Popes message and making him harmless! Pope Francis challenges us to be evangelized by the poor! You know
what it means? It means learning from the poor, knowing their profound anguish, imbibing their values, resilience,
hope, and strength! It is directed to the middle class who often defend themselves against the poor: Hindi dapat
bigyan ng entitlement ang mga sqquatters na yan! Mga magnanakaw yan! Mga addict, mapagsamantala! That is
why you cannot weep when they are helplessly demolished! You think you are so rich that these poor squatters
cannot give you anything good! UST people should wake up! You are producing college students who cannot weep,
students who mock the squatters, and push away the rugby boys! Ironic dahil best friend ni Saint Francis si Saint
Dominic!
11:43am
Sa mga students ko who always say, Sir, mag-aaral muna kami nang mabuti bago kami sumama sa mga pagkilos
para sa bayan, the Pope has a special message for the youth like you this morning: Reality is more powerful than
principles and theory. Makisangkot ka, lumubog sa masa saka ka mag-aral! How can you weep when you simply
read about poverty? You must first see and feel itthen you study!
1:27pm
Let us not disabuse the Pope when he said that Women ask questions that men cannot understand. This is not
simple essentialism or equating womens nature with being emotional, heart-centered, and irrational. No! The Pope is
saying that in our contemporary patriarchal societywhere women are taught and raised to be caring and nurturing,
while men are driven to be torturing, calculative, aggressive, competitive, and rationalwomen, mothers, and
daughters have something important to teach us! It is this: women who suffer victimization, oppression are incapable
of expressing with logical consistency what they feel. But it is not their weakness. Its their strengthin weeping,

tears move us beyond the pedantic and jargon-heavy phrases of male intellectuals. A single tear can contain all the
knowledge of the ages, but all the knowlegde of the ages cannot contain the meaning of a single tearof a weeping
poor mother who lost her children to starvation, abduction, and war!

1:37pm
A weeping mother for the death of her child melts the hardest heart in the world. Yan ang naramdaman ng nanay ng
iskolar ng bayan na namatayan ng anak dahil sa kawalan ng puso ng isang unibersidad. Ngayon natin nalaman ang
bigat ng pag-iyak ng naulilang ina. Samantalang ang mga opisyal ng pamahalaan at edukasyon ay puro paliwanag,
paghuhugas ng kamay ang ginawadi nila kayang umiyakdi nila kayang magmahaldi nila kayang mahabagdi
nila kayang magmalimos ng awa sa mga pulubing kanilang tinaggalan ng karapatang mabuhay!

1:46pm
Naalala ko tuloy ang mga nanay na umiiyak para lang magka-dorm ang kanilang mga anak. Ang payo nila sa akin:
Wag kang makinig dyannagdadrama lang yan! Kaya naman nilang magbayad! Yong iba naman na nag-appeal ng
kanilang STFAP at STS, umiiyak na sa harap ng mga opisyal, sinisigawan pa: Wag kang mag-eskandalo rito!
Mahaba pa ang pila. Ganito ang unibersidad natinmga opisyal na di kayang umiyak dahil kailangan lang nilang
sumunod sa batas ng komersyalisasyon! Unibersidad na di iniiyakan ang mga contractual employees na pinatatalsik,
mga squatters na pinalalayas para raw sa dagdag-kita! Iniiyakan nila ang kanilang mga anak at kamag-anak at
kaibigan na may sakit, ngunit bato ang puso nila sa mga estudyanteng di nila kaanu-ano! Mga walang habag!
Nakuha nyo na ang inyong gantimpala sa lupa!

5pm
Why cant Kris Aquino weep for the Hacienda Luisita farmers? Because she could only think of herself and the good
of her immediate familytotally indifferent to majority of less fortunate families. She will never learn, neither be
evangelized by the landless impoverished farmers! She said: My FAVORITE picture! I showed Pope Francis the
Rosary he had given Kuya Josh when we had the privilege of going to the Vatican April 2013, and as part of the
Wednesday Pope General Audience Kuya was handed a Rosary by Pope Francis. It was just so thrilling to see the
Pope smile so warmly when I held up the Rosary that my sons & I treasure. #MarianDevotee #Rosary
#PopeFrancisPH, she said.
8pm
In answering the metaphysical question of former street child Glyzelle Palomar, Why does God allow the children to
suffer?, the Jewish thinker Irving Greenberg makes the dramatic statement that no theological reasons for suffering
should be made that are not credible in the presence of the burning children in Auschwitz. It is insensitive to
bring up reasons to answer this question when persons are in the throes of pain or barely surviving desperate
circumstances. Instead of providing comfort, reasons would be more likely to provoke anger, tears, or accusations
directed at God. After all, the crucified Christ did not provide reasons why the poor during his time suffered so much.
He took up the Cross to suffer with them. Silence and weeping in the face of suffering is not defeatism. It is a
courageous commitment to walk with the victims of injusticeweeping, crying is a protest, not resignation in the face
of overwhelming evil.

8pm
With 20 degrees of temperature, the warmth of the message of Pope Francis for the Filipino poor is inextinguishable.
When the Pope leaves tomorrow, we have to keep the fire of justice burning, otherwise everything will be back to
normaland religion, the church, and all Catholics will just be alienating and alienated as ever! We have to push the
Catholic Church to be the champion of peace, justice, and reconciliation. This time, they cannot back outthe church
cannot betray its encounter with the Pope of the Poor.
http://pinoyweekly.org/new/2015/01/40-sinulat-ni-prop-gerry-lanuza-hinggil-sa-pagbisita-ni-pope-francis/

#PopeFrancisPH | Mga Pilipino, mainit na tinanggap si Pope Francis, suporta

niya hiniling sa ibat ibang isyung pambayan - See more at:
http://pinoyweekly.org/new/2015/01/popefrancisph-mga-pilipino-mainitna-tinanggap-si-pope-francis-suporta-niya-hiniling-sa-ibat-ibang-isyungpambayan/#sthash.TKa0RuZt.dpuf
Sa bawat kalsadang dinaanan niya, naroon silalibu-libong mamamayang Pilipino sa Kamaynilaan na
mainit na tumanggap sa pagdating sa Pilipinas ng Santo Papa.
Mula paliparan sa Villamor sa Paranaque City hanggang tirahang Apostolic Nunciature sa kanto ng Quirino at Taft
Avenue, Maynila ang siksikang tao na luminya sa tabi ng daang binaybay ng motorcade ni Pope Francis.
Samantala, sa Liwasang Bonifacio, Maynila umaga ng Enero 15, sinimulan ng progresibong mga grupo ang
Peoples Welcome kay Pope Francis sa pamamagitan ng isang ecumenical service na nilahukan ng daan-daang
magsasaka, manggagawa at bahagi ng ibat ibang mardyinalisadong sektor sa lipunang Pilipino.
Bitbit nila ang ibat ibang isyung pambayanmula korupsiyon sa administrasyong Aquino, paglabag sa mga
karapatang pantao at di-umuusad na usapang pangkapayapaan, hanggang kawalan ng tunay na repormang agraryo
sa bansana nais nilang idulog sa Santo Papa para suportahan.
Kapanalig sa laban
Malay kami sa progresibo at maka-mahihirap na tindig ng Papa na laman ng Joy of the Gospel (Evangeli
Gaudium) at iba pang pampublikong mga pahayag. Sang-ayon kami sa kritika niya sa mapang-api at
mapagsamantalang pandaigdigang sistema ng ekonomiya na inuuna ang pagkamal ng kita higit sa kapakanan ng
tao, pahayag ni Renato Reyes Jr., pangkalahatang kalihim ng Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan).
Ani Reyes, umaasa ang Bayan na makikita ni Pope Francis ang tunay na sitwasyon ng mahihirap sa Pilipinas sa
kanyang pagbisita sa bansa. Nananatili umanong atrasado at di-maunlad ito, at tumitindi ang kahirapan, kawalan ng
empleyo, kagutuman at sapilitang migrasyon.
Itinutulak ng hangarin natin para sa makabuluhang pagbabago sa bansa at palayain ang mahihirap at
pinagsasamantalahan na tanggapin ang lahat ng tao na tumitindig at nakikibaka para sa hustisya at kapayapaan,
sabi ni Fr. Ben Alforque, isa sa relihiyong mga lider na lumahok sa ecumenical service at lider ng Promotion for
Church Peoples Response (PCPR).
Mula Timog Katagalugan, Hacienda Luisita sa Tarlac, at iba pang lugar at probinsiya naman ang mga magsasaka sa
ilalim ng Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) na lumahok sa Peoples Welcome at nagtayo ng kampuhan sa
Liwasang Bonifacio.
Sabi ni Antonio Flores, pangkalahatang kalihim ng KMP, pagkakataon ang pagbisita ng Santo Papa na
himukin ang mga nananampalataya sa simbahang Katoliko, at kahit ibang relihiyon, na lumahok sa pakikibaka nila
para sa tunay na reporma sa lupa. Hinihiling namin kay Pope Francis na itakwil ang mga monopolyo sa lupa at
malawakang pangangamkam ng lupa na nagtataboy sa mga magsasaka mula sa kanilang mga lupa.
Pinahahalagahan ng maraming turo ng Simbahang Katoliko ang dignidad ng gawain sa agrikultura at proteksiyon ng
mga mamamayan sa kanayunan mula sa monopolyo at napakasamang pagsasamantala sa ating mga lupa dahil sa
kasakiman ang paghangad ng kita, ani Flores.
Kasama sa mga nagkampo ang mga magsasaka mula sa San Jose del Monte sa Bulacan, Hacienda
Dolores sa Porac, Pampanga, Yulo King Ranch sa Coro at Busuanga sa Palawan, at lupaing inaangkin ng pamilya ni
Pangulong Aquino na Hacienda Luisita sa Tarlac. Sa mga lugar na ito, nahaharap ang mga magsasaka sa paglaban
sa pangangamkam ng lupa at kawalan ng sariling lupang sinasaka.

Kalahok din sa Peoples Welcome ang mga manggagawa ng Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU). Sinabi ni Roger
Soluta, pangkalahatang kalihim ng KMU, na kinikilala nila ang maka-manggagawang mga tindig ng Santo Papa sa
maraming isyu ng paggawa kabilang ang kontraktuwalisasyon.
Malugod na tinatanggap ng All Workers Unity si Pope Francis sa Pilipinas. Umaasa kami na magsasalita muli siya
para sa karapatan ng mga manggagawa sa bansa, sabi ni Soluta.
All Workers Unity ang kalipunan ng mga grupo ng mga manggagawa sa pribado at pampublikong sektor na
nananawagan ng pagbalik ng National Minimum Wage sa kanilang hanay at pagtakda nito sa halagang di-bababa sa
P16,000 kada buwan.
Sa isang footbridge malapit sa Liwasang Bonifacio, nagladlad ang Kabataang Artista Para sa Tunay na
Kalayaan (Karatula) ng isang 30-feet na tapestry painting na nagpapakita ng imahen ni Pope Francis, kasama ang
mga miyembro ng ibat ibang mardyinalisadong sektor sa lipunang Pilipino.
Gusto naming tanggapin ang pagdating ng Papa ng isang imahe na di nagtatago ng kahirapan at problema ng mga
mamamayang Pilipino, sabi ni Einstein Recedes, tagapagsalita ng Student Christian Movement of the Philippines
(SCMP) at isa sa mga organisador ng Youth Camp kasama ang Karatula.
Kasama rin sa mga tumanggap kay Pope Francis ang mga manggagawang pangkalusugan, mga kawani sa
gobyerno, at iba pa na kalahok sa Network Opposed to Privatization (NOP), na network na nangangampanya laban
sa pagsasapribado ng pampublikong mga ospital, serbisyong pangkalusugan at iba pang serbisyong panlipunan.
Ang piniling motto ni Pope Francis ay miserando ataque eligendo, o mapagkumbaba pero pinagpala.
Kailangang malaman niya ang katotohanan na kabaliktaran na ang pinili ng gobyerno: (pinili nito) ang pribadong mga
interes at kasakiman sa negosyo kaysa kapakanan ng masa. Pinamumunan (ang Pilipinas) ng mga tao na lumilihis
mula sa ehemplo ni Kristo, sabi ni Dr. Darby Santiago, tagatipon ng NOP.
Kalahok din sa malugod na mga tumanggap sa Papa ang mga grupong pangkarapatang pantao. Ayon sa Karapatan,
umaasa rin silang mabibigyan-pansin ng lider ng Simbahang Katoliko ang sitwasyon ng Pilipinas at malawakang
paglabag diumano ng administrasyong Aquino sa karapatan ng mga mamamayan.
Naglunsad din ng fasting ang halos 500 bilanggong pulitikal sa 43 kulungan sa bansa para makuha ang atensiyon ni
Pope Francis at suportahan ang panawagan para sa kanilang pagpapalaya at pagpapatuloy ng usapang
pangkapayapaan sa pagitan ng gobyerno at National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).
Sa NAIA Road sa Paranaque City, nagladlad ng malaking istrimer ang Migrante International na nananawagan sa
Santo Papa na suportahan ang paglaban sa korupsiyon at kasakiman sa gobyerno. Sinabay nila ito sa pagdaan
ng motorcade ni Pope Francis mula sa Villamor Airbase.
Overkill
Binatikos din ng progresibong mga grupo ang anilay labis na presensiya ng mga militar at pulis para sa
kaligtasan diumano ni Pope Francis.
Gaano man kaenggrande ang welcome rites o sobrang pag-areglo sa seguridad ng kasalukuyang administrasyon
ang makakapagtago sa halatang kahirapan at kawalan ng hustisya sa lipunang Pilipino, lalo na sa harap ng mga
eskandalo sa korupsiyon na yumanig sa bansa nitong huling mga taon, sabi ni Cristina Palabay, pangkalahatang
kalihim ng Karapatan.
Inireklamo, hindi lang ng progresibong mga grupo, kundi ng ordinaryong mga mamamayan na nagbantay sa mga
kalsadang daanan ng Papa, ang pagbuhos ng mga pulis, miyembro ng Metro Manila Development Authority
(MMDA), mga volunteer, na humarang sa tabi ng daanan para raw seguruhin ang kaligtasan ni Pope Francis. Matindi
rin ang paghihigpit ng Philippine National Police sa mga mamamayang nagpapahayag ng suporta sa Santo Papa sa
pamamagitan ng mga plakard na naglalaman ng mga isyu ng mga mamamyan.

Bibisitahin tayo ng mahal ng Santo Papa upang ituro ang Gospel sa pinakamahihirap na mga Pilipino. Pero
paano tayo makakapagdasal kasama ang Santo Papa kung mga baril ng kasundaluhan, shields at batuta ng mga
kapulisan ang ihaharap sa atin? sabi ni Anakpawis Rep. Fernando Hicap.
Binatikos din ng KMU ang matinding pagdeploy ng mga pulis at militar sa mga lugar na bibisitahin ng Santo Papa,
gayundin ang matinding paghihigpit nito sa mga mamamayang dadalo sa mga aktibidad ng Papa.
Lumalabas na gusto ni Aquino na tanggapin ang pagdating ni Pope Francis nang may takot, hindi pag-asa,
sa ating mga puso. Hindi niya (Aquino) gustong magtipon ang mga Pilipino para pakinggan ang Papa na kilala sa
pagsalita para sa mga manggagawa, mahihirap at pinagsasamantalahan, at laban sa korupsiyon at kontra-mahihirap
na mga lider, sabi ni Elmer Labog, tagapangulo ng KMU.
Pinuna naman ng Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap ang mga polisiyang panseguridad na pinapatupad ng
administrasyong Aquino sa ngalan ng pagbisita ng Papa. Kasama rito ang No Sail Policy para sa mga mangingisda
sa Manila Bay at No Vending Policy para sa mga tindera at sidewalk vendors sa Rizal Park at sa mga rutang
dadaanan ni Pope Francis.
Kung masusunod ang Papa, tiyak na hindi papayagan nitong masira ng pagbisita niya (sa Pilipinas) ang
kabuhayan ng mahihirap na mga Pilipino kahit isang araw, sa kabila ng sinasabing banta raw sa kanyang seguridad,
sabi ni Gloria Arellano, tagapangulo ng Kadamay.
SIDELIGHTS SA UNANG ARAW NI POPE FRANCIS SA PINAS
ni Yanni Fernan
1. Nagbuo ang administrasyong Aquino ng Task Force Security and Public Order na binubuo ng 18 ahensiya ng
gobyerno at simbahan. Nasa pamumuno ito ni Interior Sec. Mar Roxas. Sa bawat aktibidad ay may assigned
authority. Presidential Security Group ang direktang close-in ng Santo Papa.
2. Alas-tres pa lang ng umaga ng Jan 15 ay may vigil na ang volunteers lalo na sa Apostolic Nunciature.
Ang volunteers na ito ang tinatawag na human barricade volunteers. Nagmumula sila sa parishes at bumubuo
ng three-layered barricade sa mga ruta ng Papa. Ang unang layer ay binubuo ng human barricade volunteers, ang
pangalawang layer ng barangay at pulis, ng pangatlo ay concrete cement.Dismayado ang mga tao dahil hindi sila
makalapit sa Papa.
3. Magkakaroon ng interfaith dialogue ang Papa sa ilang piling ecumenical leaders para pag-usapan ang common
issues tulad ng corruption, climate change, peace talks, elections. Sabi ni Bishop Ephraim Tindero, pinuno ng
Philippine Council of Ecumenical Leaders, the Pope is not just a religious but a political leader.
4. Sabi ni Cardinal Tagle, alam ng Papa ang nangyayari sa Pilipinas dahil parati silang nagpapadala ng mga litrato at
mensahe sa Papa.
5. Maglalabas ang Papa ng encyclical on climate change matapos ang bisita sa Tacloban.
6. Hinarangan ng trak ng pulis ang mga plakard ng mga nagsimpatya kay Pope sa Baclaran.
7. Sa kabila ng hakbang ng gobyerno na itago ang tunay na mga isyu sa bansa, nakober kahapon at ngayon ang
mga protesta ng progresibong mga grupo: Liwasang Bonifacio, Kabataan, mud walk sa Nuncio, People Surge sa
Tacloban City, mga isyung pangkarapatang pantao, aksiyon ng mga guro. Nakita rin sa TV at nakuhanan ang
mga istrimer at islogan. Malaganap ang pagtanggap ng pahayag ng Student Christian Movement at iba pang
grupong pangkabataan sa national at international press.
8. Disappointed at may ilang bata na hayagang napaiyak sa Villamor Airbase nang wala na halos ang Papa nang
nagsayaw sila at hindi nila ito nakita. Halos dalawang buwan silang nagpraktis ng sayaw. Naharangan din sila ng
hilera ng mga pulitiko, miyembro ng gabinete at obispo ng Simbahan.
9. Sa kabila ng pagbawal ng mga payong at sumbrero, parang kabuteng sumulpot ang mga gaheto ng mga tao nang
dumaan na ang convoy. Kahit mga pulis, tumitingin at/o kumukuha ng litrato nang dumaan ang Popemobile.