Manila: Jose William Arana is just one of millions of worshipers in this most Catholic of Asian nations enthusiastic to see Pope Francis when he arrives Thursday for a five-day trip to the Philippines.
The 75-year-old priest hopes the pope’s visit will inspire change. “It will (breathe) more life to our way of living, our faith as Catholics,” he said.
More than 80% of the Philippine’s 108 million people are Catholic. Arana said he hopes the Argentine pope — the first from a developing country — brings his message of humility for the rich and economic justice for the poor, usatoday.com reported.
“The perception of the people is that the church has been aloof, that we are not serving the people of God,” he said. “I have great expectations that the Holy Father, in his personal meetings with priests and the religious, will tell them to be more with the people of God.”
The main highlight will be Sunday’s open-air Mass likely to attract millions in Manila. On Saturday, Francis visits Tacloban to meet survivors of devastating Typhoon Haiyan, which killed more than 6,000 people in November 2013
Frenzy over the papal visit has already started. Filipinos are snapping selfies beside a life-size cutout image of the pope in churches and malls. His face beams from posters, shirts, cookies, coins, stamps, coffee mugs and other mementos. There’s even Pope Francis, the Musical, which has been playing to a full house since November.
A mix of joy with concern over the church’s future was common on Manila’s streets and in churches ahead of the pope’s visit.
“A lot of people ask me, ‘After the papal visit, what will change in the Philippines?’ ” said Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, archbishop of Manila. “That is for us to determine and to answer. A lot of things that he will encourage us to do will really depend on us.”
Security is a paramount concern. In 1970, during the first-ever papal visit to the Philippines, a would-be assassin disguised as a priest knifed Pope Paul VI. During the country’s third papal visit in 1995, Philippine authorities uncovered a plot by Muslim extremists to assassinate Pope John Paul II.
For this fourth papal visit, the government is mobilizing 25,000 police and at least 15,000 troops for security. The government has banned civilians from carrying firearms near the pope. Making security even more of a challenge is the fact that Francis has refused to use the bulletproof “popemobile” and plans to mingle with worshipers during his open-air service in Rizal Park.
The Catholic Church’s political influence is widespread in the country. Divorce and same-sex marriage are banned. The church played a key leadership role in the 1986 revolt against dictator Ferdinand Marcos. But it has also lost battles, such as when lawmakers last year overcame 14 years of church opposition to give reproductive health benefits to poor Filipinos.
Crispin Dizon said he is wants to catch a glimpse of the pope. But the destitute former pedicab driver, who lost his job after having a stroke, also didn’t hesitate to criticize the church. He said he knows compassionate clergyman like Arana, but others exploit their positions.
“Some priests are very kind to the poor,” Dizon said. “But some have bad attitudes and misbehave, such as by sexually abusing minors. This is why so few people attend Mass.”
Activist and performance artist Carlos Celdran was convicted of “offending religious feelings” for his 2010 protest in Manila Cathedral against the church’s opposition to expanding reproductive health measures. He’s now appealing his conviction to avoid prison.
Despite his conflicts with the church, Celdran said Pope Francis has an opportunity to help the Philippines tackle its social ills, such as poverty, child beggars, open sewers and deforestation.
“If (the pope) comes to the country and just says all the old stuff that we’ve heard before — don’t use birth control, be kind to each other — and nothing particularly radical, then nothing will change,” Celdran said. “I really want the pope to come into the pulpit and tell Filipinos to their faces what’s wrong with them, because we refuse to listen to ourselves.”