The Philippines Church and its people pay homage to Pope Francis. Cardinal David remembers him as a pastor among the faithful who chose “the dusty roads to the peripheries." Cardinal Advincula remembers his 2015 visit as a "moment of grace". President Marcos declared three days of national mourning. In offering its condolences, Silsilah, the movement for Islamic-Christian dialogue in Mindanao, says that we must “build together a human fraternity as Pope Francis reminds us to do”.

Manila (AsiaNews) – The Church in the Philippines – the country with the most Catholics in Asia – has joined the entire world in mourning the death of Pope Francis.

Francis “was a shepherd who walked with his people, often choosing the dusty road toward the peripheries rather than the comfort of the center,” said Card Pablo Virgilio David, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), in a message to the faithful.

“He invited us to be a listening Church – one that opens its ears to the cries of the people and its heart to the stirrings of the Spirit,” noted David, who is also the bishop of Caloocan. “Through his vision of synodality, Pope Francis challenged us to rediscover the Church not as a fortress, but as a field hospital – welcoming, healing, and journeying together”.

With important documents that marked the pontificate – such as Laudato Si' and Laudate Deum, “he taught us to see the earth as our common home, entrusted to our care, especially for the sake of the generations to come.”

Cardinal David added that the pontiff described overseas Philippine migrant workers as “’contrabandistas de la fe’ – smugglers of the faith – reminding us that the witness of simple, faithful lives can cross borders and touch hearts where formal missionaries cannot go.”

In his message, Card Jose F. Advincula, archbishop of Manila, said that the Philippine Church thanks the Almighty for sending Pope Francis who was “a precious gift of God to the Church and the world and Filipino people.”

“From the beginning of his pontificate in 2013, Francis has reminded us that the Church must be close to the poor, merciful to all, and a welcoming home for the forgotten. These words resonate in our hearts, for they speak so deeply to the soul of the Filipino faithful,” the cardinal explained.

According to Advincula, Francis’s visit to the Philippines in 2015 was a moment of grace forever etched in the country’s memory. “Under the rain in Tacloban, standing with the survivors of Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in 2013, Pope Francis showed us what it means to suffer with others and find hope amid pain.”  

In Luneta, during the celebration of the Holy Eucharist with millions, “he embraced our joy, faith, and longing for a Church that walks with its people,” the prelate said. “His presence, prayers, and preaching have confirmed us in faith, enlivened our hope, and animated us to charity. And indeed, we fondly recall his special love for Filipinos all over the world,” Cardinal Advincula said.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. also expressed deep sorrow over the passing of Pope Francis, who was affectionately known to Filipinos as "Lolo Kiko”. “I love this pope. The best pope in my lifetime, as far as I’m concerned,” the Philippine leader said on Monday, the day the pontiff passed away.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the acting chief minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Abdulraof Macacua, said that his government extended its deepest condolences to the Catholic Church, Catholic residents in the region, and all those mourning the pope’s loss.

Yesterday, President Marcos announced a period of national mourning from 23 to 26 April, to honour the memory of the late pope.

“Throughout his 12 years of service as the head of the Roman Catholic Church, Francis led over 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide, including millions of Filipinos,” the president said. During this period, he “became a global symbol of humility, compassion, and peace, devoting his ministry to the care of the poor, marginalized, and vulnerable, and advocating tirelessly for social justice, equality, and interfaith dialogue.”

According to Marcos, Francis “holds a special place in the hearts of the Filipino people, particularly for his Apostolic Visit to the Philippines in January 2015, where he offered comfort and solidarity to victims of Typhoon Yolanda, and celebrated the resilience of the Filipino faithful”.

“The passing of Pope Francis is a moment of profound sorrow for the Catholic Church and for the Filipino people, who recognize him as a global leader of compassion and a tireless advocate for peace, justice, and human dignity,” the president added.

The Silsilah Dialogue Movement, an organisation created in Zamboanga in 1984 to promote friendship between Philippine Christians and Muslims, also offered its condolences for the pontiff’s death.

It a statement it highlights the timeless “Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together” that Francis and Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmad Al-Tayeb signed in 2019.

“Today we reaffirm our mission thanks to this document. This is also what we believe and share in promoting the Culture of Dialogue”, for “we too in solidarity with all say padayon! (move on) on the path of Dialogue and peace to build together a human fraternity as Pope Francis reminds us to do”.

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