Pope Francis

Sen. Bam asks Pope Francis: Pray for PH, poor Filipinos

ROME, Italy — In a private audience with Pope Francis here, Sen. Bam Aquino asked the Holy Father to pray for the Philippines and poor Filipinos amid the challenges of injustice and suffering that the country is facing.

Sen. Bam, who shared his experience of meeting Pope Francis on his Instagram page, also presented to Pope Francis letters from members of the Philippine clergy, such as Bro. Armin Luistro of the Purple Cross Movement.

“Holy Father, I have some letters from our religious leaders in the Philippines. Our country needs your prayers,” Sen. Bam told the Holy Father during the private audience. In response, Pope Francis smiled back, took the letters and blessed Sen. Bam and the rosary that the senator was holding in his hand.

Sen. Bam said one of the letters asked Pope Francis to pray that the violence in the Philippines comes to an end and for the welfare of the widows and orphans left by the drug war.

Sen. Bam had the distinct honor of meeting Pope Francis as the country’s representative to the 9th Annual Meeting of the International Catholic Legislators Network (ICLN).

In his message to Catholic and Christians legislators, Pope Francis said Christian politicians are especially called… with humility and courage, to bear witness to their faith.

Sen. Bam, for his part, said Pope Francis’ message encourages Catholics to stand up for God and for fellow Filipinos, against all odds and with all humility and courage.

“Kung totoong nananampalataya ka, dapat wala kang takot na manindigsan para sa Diyos at para sa ating mga kababayan,” said Sen. Bam.

BIDA KA!: Kababaang-loob

Kung tutuusin, hindi Niya kailangang maranasan ang hirap sa kamay ng mga Hudyo. Ngunit buong pagpapakumbaba Niyang ibinigay ang buhay upang tayo’y iligtas at ilayo sa kapahamakan.

***

Ito rin ang kaugaliang ipinamamalas ni Pope Francis sa pagtupad ng tungkuling pamunuan ang Simbahang Katolika at lahat ng Kristiyano sa buong mundo.

Sa unang mga araw niya bilang Santo Papa, ipinakita na ni Lolo Kiko ang kanyang kababaang-loob nang hugasan niya ang paa ng mga kabataan, babae at Muslim na bilanggo sa isang juvenile detention center noong 2013.

May ilan ang bumatikos sa pagkilos na iyon ng Santo Papa dahil ito’y kontra sa tradisyon ng Vatican na puro lalaking pari lang ang dapat hugasan ng paa dahil pawang mga lalaki ang mga alagad ni Kristo.

Ngunit hindi pa rin natinag ang Santo Papa. Noong nakaraang taon, nagtungo siya sa isang home for the aged at PWDs para hugasan ang paa ng ilang napiling matatanda at may kapansanan.

Ngayong taon, nakatakda siyang dumalaw sa Rebibbia prison sa Rome sa gabi ng Holy Thursday.

Pagkatapos ng misa, nakatakdang hugasan ng Santo Papa ang paa ng ilang piling bilanggong lalaki at maging babae.

Ayon kay Pope Francis, ang paghuhugas ng paa ay simbolo ng kanyang pagmamahal sa lahat, hanggang sa pinakaordinaryong miyembro ng lipunan.

***

Ang halimbawang ito ni Pope Francis ay pagpapakita lang ng katangian ng isang servant leader, na handang magsilbi sa lahat nang may kababaang-loob.

Ito ay isang mahalagang imbitasyon na katangiang kailangang isabuhay, lalo na sa aming mga halal na opisyal ng bayan.

Sa simula pa lang ng administrasyong ito, sa hindi paggamit ng wangwang ng mga pinuno natin, nais ipakita na walang special treatment kahit kanino sa daan.

Kahit kung minsan late na sa appointment, hindi pa rin inalis ng Pangulo ang patakarang ito, na isang magandang halimbawang sinusunod ng iba pang opisyal ng pamahalaan.

May iba’t ibang paraan din upang maipakita ng mga lingkod-bayan na sila’y karapat-dapat na mga servant-leader ng bansa.

Una rito ay ang pagbibigay ng tapat at malinis na paglilingkod sa taumbayan na naglagay sa kanila sa puwesto.

Ang ikalawa ay ang pagsisikap na matupad ang kanilang ipinangako noong panahon ng halalan ang mabigyan ng magandang kinabukasan ang mga nagtiwala sa kanila.

Ikatlo, ang pagiging mapagkumbaba sa lahat ng panahon, gaya ng ipinakitang halimbawa ni Hesus at patuloy na ipinamamalas ni Pope Francis.

Ito ang mga aral na hatid ng Semana Santa para sa ating lahat. Sana’y maitanim ito sa ating puso’t isipan.

 

First Published on Abante Online

BIDA KA!: Ang pagmamahal ni Pope Francis

Kilala si Jorge Mario Bergoglio sa kanyang simpleng pamumuhay at pagiging makatao at makamahirap.

Sumasakay lamang siya ng bus at ‘di gumagamit ng mamahaling sasakyan sa pang-araw-araw.

Nakatira siya sa isang maliit na apartment na puwede namang mas magarbo ang kanyang tahanan dahil isa siyang arsobispo.

Lumalabas pa siya ng simbahan sa gabi upang makasalo sa pagkain ang mga mahihirap at walang tahanan.

Ipinaparamdam niya sa mga taong salat sa yaman na may handang dumamay sa kanila.

Nang mahirang bilang Santo Papa, pinili niya ang pa­ngalang Francis bilang pagbibigay-pugay kay St. Francis of Assisi, na santo ng mahihirap at nangangailangan.

***

Nang sinimulan niya ang kanyang pamumuno sa 1.2 bil­yong Katoliko sa buong mundo, ipinagpatuloy ni Pope Francis ang kanyang mga nakagawian para sa mahihirap na hindi kadalasang ginagawa ng isang Santo Papa.

Tulad noong nasa Argentina siya, pinili lamang niyang manirahan sa Vatican Guesthouse na mas payak kaysa sa mas magarbong Papal Apartments na tinirhan nang mga nakaraang Santo Papa.

Wika niya na mas pabor sa kanya ang Guesthouse nang manatili siyang bahagi ng isang komunidad kahit siya na ang pinakamakapangyarihang Katoliko ngayon.

Lumalabas pa rin siya ng Vatican upang magbigay ng tulong sa mahihirap na walang tahanan sa Roma. Sumasabay rin siyang mananghalian sa mga tauhan ng cafeteria ng Vatican.

Minsan, ikinagulat ng kanyang Swiss Guard nang binigyan niya ito ng tinapay at nakipagkuwentuhan.

Marahil, para sa iba, itong mga kilos na ito ay maliliit lamang. Ngunit, simbolo ito ng pagkilala ng Santo Papa sa dignidad ng lahat ng tao – ikaw man ay mahirap o mayaman, trabahador lamang o may-ari ng malalaking negosyo sa mundo.

***

Noong nakaraang Mahal na Araw, hinuga­san ni Pope Francis ang mga paa sa tradisyong ‘Washing of the Feet’ hindi lamang ng mga la­laki na nakaugalian na, ngunit pati na rin ang mga babae at mga bilanggo.

Hindi rin siya nami­mili ng mga taong pakikitunguhan. Mula sa mga may malalang sakit, atheist, Muslim at ma­ging mga biktima ng karahasan, nakikisa­lamuha at nakikiba­hagi ang Santo Papa sa kanilang lahat.

Ipinakikilala lang ni Pope Francis ang tunay na katangian ng isang servant leader, na handang humarap at magsilbi sa lahat ng uri ng tao at hindi lang sa iilan.

Sa pagiging simple at mababang-loob, agad napalapit si Pope Francis sa tao hanggang sa makilala na siya bilang People’s Pope.

***

Idinidiin din ni Pope Francis na galangin natin ang mahihirap at iba pang sektor na isinasan­tabi ng lipunan. Sila rin ay may dignidad at pagkakakilanlan tulad nating lahat.

Sa pagkilala sa kanila, naging aktibo ang Santo Papa sa mga programang tulad ng isinusulong natin upang makalikha ng trabaho, at mabigyan ng kabuhayan at maliliit na negosyo para sa mga naka­rarami.

Sa kanyang panahon bilang Arsobispo, naki­pag-ugnayan siya sa pamahalaan at mga pri­badong sektor upang bigyang solusyon ang kahirapan at kawalan ng hustisya sa Argentina.

Hindi lang awa at donasyon ang itinutulak ng Santo Papa, kundi tunay na pagmamahal at pakikiba­hagi sa nakalugmok sa kahirapan.

Pangmatagalan ang kanyang mga ­panukala — bigyan sila ng pagkakakitaan at pagkaka­taong lumago nang maka­bangon sila sa kanilang kinalalagyan.

Maging ­inspirasyon sana ang panahong nari­rito sa ating bansa si Pope Francis upang lalo tayong kumilos para maibahagi ang kaunlarang nararanasan natin sa mas maraming Pilipino.

 

First Published on Abante Online

Privilege Speech: Accepting Pope Francis’ Challenge

Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV

16th Congress, Senate of the Philippines

Privilege Speech, 26 January 2015

 

Accepting Pope Francis’ Challenge

 

Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, mga kaibigan, mga kababayan. I rise today on a matter of personal and collective privilege, with an inspired spirit and renewed energy, to build a better Philippines hand-in-hand with every Filipino.

It has been one week since His Holiness Pope Francis left our humbled shores after spending five blessed days in our country.  During this time, Pope Francis captivated the nation and inspired the people with his charming smile and gestures of gratitude, humility and empathy. People are clearly inspired.

Mr. President, thousands of Filipinos lined his path, with some going to great lengths and enormous sacrifices just to simply catch a glimpse of the Holy Father. Libu-libong mga pamilyang Pilipino / ang naghintay nang ilang oras upang makilahok sa mga events ni Pope Francis[1].

 Kabilang na riyan si Mang Antolin Adlawan. Sa kabila ng kanyang edad na animnapu’t anim na taon ay naglakad siya ng tatlumpu’t anim na araw patungong Tacloban para lang makadalo sa misa ng Santo Papa[2].

Sa misa sa Luneta, anim na milyong Pilipino ang dumalo sa gitna nang malakas na ulan, sama-samang nakinig sa mensahe ng Santo Papa at nagdasal para sa ating mga pamilya at buong bayan[3].

 Undeniably, Pope Francis has given many of us the precious gift of inspiration, through his words and his being. The challenge for us now is to turn Pope Francis’ messages into action and make his calls into reality that will benefit our countrymen, especially the poor and marginalized.

 

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Mr. President, I’d like to highlight three themes from his life and advocacy that we can emulate and translate in our own lives and to our own work as well – and these are a life of simplicity, a heart of inclusiveness, and a renewed vigor to ensure the dignity of the poor.

 

A Life of Simplicity

Kilala si Jorge Mario Bergoglio sa kanyang simpleng pamumuhay, kahit noong siya pa ay ang Arsobispo ng Buenos Aires sa Argentina.

Sumasakay lamang siya ng bus at di gumagamit ng mamahaling sasakyan sa pang-araw-araw. Nakatira siya sa isang maliit na apartment na puwede namang mas magarbo ang kanyang tahanan dahil isa siyang arsobispo.

Nang mahirang bilang Santo Papa, pinili niya ang pangalang Francis bilang pagbibigay pugay kay St. Francis of Assisi, na santo ng mahihirap at nangangailangan.

When Pope Francis addressed the Roman Curia last December, he talked about a “disease of hoarding[4],” and even said: “Accumulating goods only burdens and inexorably slows down the journey!”

His call for a simple and plain lifestyle is indeed an example for all of us to look at our own lives and appreciate the things and the blessings that we have had.

 

The challenge for us, public servants and leaders is to “uphold the public interest over and above personal interest,” and to “lead modest lives appropriate to their positions… not [to] indulge in extravagant or ostentatious display of wealth in any form[5].”  These phrases are from RA 6713.

 

President Aquino’s leadership emphasized the eradication of the wang-wang culture, “the image of blaring, much-abused sirens, to symbolize all things corrupt and crooked in Philippine politics.”

 

The call for simplicity is not for simplicity sake. Rather, it is a challenge for our leaders not to be separate from those that they serve. The call for simplicity must go beyond the superficial and symbolic. It is a mindset, which roots leaders with the people they serve.  It is a constant reminder for empathy – to feel what most feel, so that the decisions we make will always be for the many and not the few.

 

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A Heart of Inclusiveness

Secondly, the Pope calls for us to be inclusive and, as he instructed cardinals last year, “to fight any discrimination[6].”

 

Mr. President, during Maundy Thursday of last year, Pope Francis broke tradition when he washed and kissed the feet of 12 persons with disability for the Washing of the Feet ritual[7]. Several of them were women and another man, was a Muslim.

 

Pope Francis reminds us that we live in a world that is as diverse as it is magnificent; and that though Filipinos have differing beliefs and varying perspectives, we are united by our dream to build this country.

 

Kung naaalala po ninyo ang sinabi niya sa mga kabataang Pilipino sa UST, “women have much to tell us in today’s society[8].” Sa mata ng Santo Papa, maging ano pa ang iyong kasarian, relihiyon at estado sa buhay, dapat pantay ang pagtrato at may boses sa lipunan ang lahat.

 

Our colonial past and rich history, where our Malay roots have been mixed with Chinese, Spanish, American, and even Indian and Mediterranean decent, have made our culture into a melting pot of diverse ways, values and norms.

 

Add the fact that a tenth of Pinoys are living and working abroad, we, Filipinos, are a truly global, genuinely accepting and accommodating people.

 

Thus, we call on all Filipinos today to go back to who we are, and further create a kinder and gentler nation – a more forgiving and compassionate people that care for each and every Filipino, regardless of their ethnicity, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, civil status, age or medical condition.

 

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A Renewed Vigor to Ensure the Dignity of the Poor

Lastly, Mr. President, the Holy Father emphasized his call to be at the forefront of eradicating poverty, to be at the peripheries, to be at the margins of development. He has challenged us to re-examine our Christian faith and lifestyle.

 

Even before he was Pope, he pushed for jobs and enterprises with his work in the slums of Argentina. The real Buneos Aires was a far cry from the beauty that we see in movies. The city slums, known as villas of misery, are so savage that even ambulances and police have refused to enter[9].

 

Among the Pope’s parishioners were unemployed and hungry. Teenage pregnancies were rampant while drug users and criminals roamed the villas[10].

 

As Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998, Padre Bergolio then worked to revive and invigorate the Catholic movement in the villas. From a few priests, he doubled the number of priests in the area. His parishes started programs to rehabilitate and uplift the poor of Buneos Aires.

 

They built a recovery center for drug addicts, a high school and a technical vocational school, farms where addicts worked and lived, a home for the elderly and children, and a community radio and newspaper[11] to give the people in the margins a voice.

 

One of the Jesuit charisms is “to go where there is the greatest need[12]” – to be at the frontiers of development, to be with the most vulnerable and suffering. This is the call that we must heed – helping our countrymen means going beyond the common understanding of charity.  It is restoring the dignity of the poor and providing the opportunity of earning for themselves and their families.

 

Mr. President, in solidarity with the Pope’s call to build a Church of the poor and for the poor, we must ensure that the Philippine government is a government completely and utterly focused on fighting poverty and providing opportunities for our countrymen.

 

We need to ensure that as we establish the K-12 system in our basic education, our young Filipinos will have the right knowledge, skills and attitudes that will make them competitive in the job market not only in the country, but in the ASEAN region and in the world as well.

 

It is our fervent hope that the families under the 4Ps program will graduate from just being beneficiaries.  And that the Sustainable Livelihood Program will be given more emphasis as our countrymen strive to overcome poverty.

 

Let us help in organizing our farmers and fisherfolk, provide the right technical assistance and access to capital, link them to proper markets, and help them break free from the cycle of poverty.

 

In addition, we must also be able to support institutions / that help our poor communities as well – microfinance organizations, cooperatives, social enterprises, and inclusive businesses.

 

The call is to make our dream for our people to be able to stand on their own feet, provide food for their families, send their children to school, and build lasting homes a reality.

 

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The Pope’s visit to the Philippines can remain a record-breaking event, a fond memory we cast to history, or we can turn it into something even more substantial.  All of us, together, have the power to make this year’s Papal Visit a major turning point for our country.

 

As we bid farewell to our cherished Pope Francis, let us reflect on how each of us can personally contribute to improving the lives of our fellow Filipinos. Each of us has a role to play. Each of us has the opportunity to make a difference. Each of us can be that agent of change.

 

Now, we have been blessed with both the instruction and the inspiration to do so. Concrete action and palpable change are the greatest gifts we can give Pope Francis.

 

Let’s make him proud.  At bigyan po natin siya ng panibagong dahilan upang bumalik sa Pilipinas!

 

Maraming salamat at magandang hapon sa ating lahat!

 

______________________________________

[1] Lozada, David. 16 January 2015. Rappler.com. “Families Tell Tales of Sacrifice, Hope to Meet Pope Francis.” Accessed via http://www.rappler.com/specials/pope-francis-ph/stories/80997-family-sacrifice-meet-pope-francis last 21 January 2015.

[2] Alamar, Noel. 16 January 2015. ABS-CBN News. “This Man Walked for 36 Days just to See Pope in Tacloban.” Accessed via http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/01/16/15/man-walked-36-days-just-see-pope-tacloban last 21 January 2015.

[3] Hegina, Aries Joseph. 18 January 2015. Philippine Daily Inquirer. “MMDA: 6M Filipinos Attended Pope Francis’ Luneta Mass, Papal Route.” Accessed via http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/666218/mmda-6m-filipinos-attended-pope-francis-luneta-mass-papal-route last 21 January 2015.

[4] Address of His Holiness Pope Francis. “Presentation of the Christmas Greetings to the Roman Curia. 22 December 2014. Accessed via https://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2014/december/documents/papa-francesco_20141222_curia-romana.html last 25 January 2015

[5] Civil Service Commission. Republic Act No. 6713: An Act Establishing A Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, to Uphold the Time-Honored Principle of Public Office being a Public Trust, Granting Incentives and Rewards for Exemplary Service, Enumerating Prohibited Acts and Transactions and Providing Penalties for Violations thereof and for other Purposes. Accessed via http://excell.csc.gov.ph/cscweb/RA6713.html last 25 January 2015.

[6] Gibson, David. 22 February 2014. Religion News Service. “Pope Francis Charges Cardinals to Oppose ‘Any Discrimination.” Accessed via http://www.religionnews.com/2014/02/22/pope-francis-creates-cardinals-appeals-peace-discrimination/ last 21 Janaury 2015.

[7] Davies, Lizzy. 17 April 2014. The Guardian. “Pope Francis Kisses Feet of Women and Muslim Man in Maundy Thursday Rite.” Accessed via http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/17/pope-francis-kisses-feet-women-muslim-maudy-thursday last 25 January 2015.

[8] Rappler.com 18 January 2015. “Where are the Women, Pope Francis Asks UST.” Accessed via http://www.rappler.com/specials/pope-francis-ph/81198-women-pope-francis-ust last 25 January 2015.

[9] Cohen, Haley. 20 March 2013. The Atlantic. “Slum Priests: Pope Francis’s Early Years.” Accessed via http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/03/slum-priests-pope-franciss-early-years/274201/ last 25 January 2015.

[10] Ibid.

[11] Allen, John, Jr. 7 April 2013. National Catholic Reporter. “Pope Francis Gets his ‘Oxygen’ from the Slums.” Accessed via http://ncronline.org/blogs/francis-chronicles/pope-francis-gets-his-oxygen-slums last 25 January 2015.

[12] Ciancimino, David, S.J. 2 October 2013. Raatior Ventures. “NY Jesuit Provincial’s Response Leaves more Questions than Answers.” Accessed via http://www.raatior.com/ny-jesuit-provincials-response-leaves-more-questions-than-answer/ last 25 January 2015.

Bam: Put Pope Francis’ Messages into Action

The best gift that Pinoys can give to Pope Francis is to put his messages into action.

Senator Bam Aquino issued this challenge, saying that it is now time to live out the words of the Holy Father during his five-day stay in the country.

“Putting the Pope’s messages about social justice, solidarity with the poor and love for the other person, into action is the best gift that we can give to Papa Kiko for inspiring us to become better persons and better citizens of this country,” Bam said.

During his homilies and preachings, Pope Francis appealed to government officials and the youth to help the poor and the marginalized.

The Holy Father also called on government officials to “reject every form of corruption which diverts resources from the poor.”

“The Pope’s visit must inspire us to eradicate graft and corruption in government. And this needs everyone’s cooperation, vigilance and faith to make the reforms happen,” Bam said.

Bam also calls on the government to focus on fighting poverty and providing employment and livelihood opportunities to the poor and marginalized to help uplift their living conditions.

“We must go beyond the common understanding of charity.  We must recognize the dignity of the poor by providing them the opportunity of earning for themselves and their families,” Bam said.

Meanwhile, the senator lauded devotees who attended the different Papal events for their discipline amid the challenging conditions.

“We laud our countrymen for their discipline, especially during the Holy Mass at the Quirino Grandstand. Your immeasurable devotion to the Holy Father and to the Catholic faith is commendable and as inspiring as well,” the senator said.

Photo source: President Aquino’s Official Facebook Page

Showcase Filipino Spirit of Volunteerism during Papal Visit – Sen. Bam

Showcase the spirit of Filipino volunteerism during the visit of Pope Francis.

 

Senator Bam Aquino made this call to the Catholic faithful, saying all eyes will be on the Philippines during the five-day stay of the Holy Father from Jan. 15-19.

 

“With all eyes on the Philippines during this special occasion, let us showcase the spirit of volunteerism while we celebrate the presence of the Holy Father and fulfill our devotion to the Catholic faith,” said Aquino.

 

The senator said that Filipinos can help in many ways by volunteering in different activities during the Papal visit, especially in health services, cleanliness and maintenance of peace and order.

 

“With some Manila policemen and MMDA officers still tired from the feast of the Black Nazarene, the public can help them by being extra vigilant against any danger that may arise,” the senator said.

 

“Citizens can also volunteer in their small little way by bringing extra food and water for policemen and other volunteers during the Pope’s visit,” Aquino stressed.

 

Also, Aquino urged the Catholic faithful to exercise utmost discipline during public events that will be attended by Pope Francis.

 

Pope Francis will attend several public activities in different parts of the country, such as the Meeting with the Families at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on January 16.

 

The next day, the Pope travels to Leyte where he will have lunch with some of the survivors of Typhoon Yolanda at Archbishop’s Residence in Palo and attend the blessing of the Pope Francis Center for the Poor.

 

On January 18, the Pope will meet with different religious leaders and the youth at the University of Santo Tomas and celebrate Holy Mass at Rizal Park.

 

“Let us do our share in keeping peace and order by exercising utmost discipline during these events and fully cooperating with the security measures laid down by authorities,” the senator said

 

The senator also echoed the earlier call by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to devotees to wear proper clothes during the Pope’s public events.

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