Pope Francis showed us how to lead with compassion – Romualdez
Armed with his trademark charisma, a raincoat-clad Pope Francis dispenses endless hope and joy while he waves to warmly welcoming well-wishers in Tacloban City in 2015, where his long-awaited visit, however, had to be cut short because of heavy rains from Tropical Storm “Amang.” (AFP)
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte — More than giving hope to people from Eastern Visayas, Pope Francis showed how it is to lead by example and with compassion, House of Representatives Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said on Saturday.
In a statement after the thanksgiving mass here for Francis’ funeral rites at the Vatican, Romualdez said that the pontiff’s 2015 visit allowed the people of Leyte and the entire Eastern Visayas to rise again after the extensive damage caused by Super Typhoon Yolanda.
“Pope Francis gave us more than hope,” Romualdez, who represents the first district of Leyte, said.
“He showed the world how to lead with compassion. He stood with us—not just as a Pope, but as a father to the suffering. His presence gave us strength to rise.”
“He gave us the courage to begin again. When we felt forgotten, he remembered. When we were broken, he came to bless the brokenness. That is something no people ever forget,” he added.
According to Romualdez, the people of Tacloban and Eastern Visayas would never forget these invaluable actions from the late pontiff.
“His presence was a comfort to our grief, a spark to our resilience and a reminder that even in the darkest storms, the light of compassion can shine through,” he said.
“Hindi po kailanman mababayaran ng salita o panahon ang ginawa ng Santo Papa para sa mga taga-Tacloban at buong Eastern Visayas. Ang kanyang pagyakap sa ating lungkot ay nagsilbing paalala ng pagmamahal ng Diyos sa mga nawalan at nasalanta ng bagyo,” he added.
(No words can repay the words shared and the time spent by the Holy Father for the people of Tacloban and the entire Eastern Visayas. His embrace amid our despiar serves as a reminder that God’s love is present for those who lost a lot and were devastated by the typhoon)
Romualdez said the yellow raincoat that Francis wore — which became iconic as he was seen wearing it while smiling and blessing the people despite strong winds and rains — became a symbol of Eastern Visayas residents’ unwavering faith.
“That yellow raincoat became our banner of faith. We saw in him not a distant leader, but a loving father: present, soaked in our sorrow, and filled with love,” he said.
“Hindi lang siya nakiramay. Pumunta siya, nakiiyak at nakisama sa paghihirap ng mga taga-Tacloban City at buong Eastern Visayas. Hindi lang po ito pag-alala, ito ay pasasalamat. Isang dekada na ang lumipas, pero sariwa pa rin sa alaala namin ang pagmamahal na kanyang ipinadama. Kaya ngayong araw na ito, sinasabi naming muli: Damo nga salamat, Pope Francis,” he added.
(He did not only console us. He was here, he cried, and he shared in the suffering of the Tacloban and Eastern Visayas residents. This is not just in remembrance of what he did, but in gratitude for everything. One decade may have passed, but his love for us is still fresh in our memories. That’s why today, we say again: Thank you very much, Pope Francis.)
Romualdez was one of the several government officials who welcomed Francis into Tacloban City during the January 2015 papal visit, along with then-senator and now President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Monsignor Ramon Stephen Aguilos, who officiated over the thanksgiving mass on Saturday, was also present when Francis went to Tacloban.
Earlier, Aguilos said in his homily that Francis’ life is a challenge to Christians to stand with the suffering and marginalized while at the same time leaving one’s comfort zones.
Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, passed away last April 21 morning in the Vatican — or just a day after the Catholic world celebrated Easter Sunday to commemorate Jesus Christ’s resurrection.
He was 88.
