Pope Francis and the ‘Islands of Saints’

Soon after he rose to the Chair of Saint Peter, Pope Francis, who has a reputation for saintly simplicity sent a pithy greeting to Filipinos, the world’s third largest group of Catholics next to the Brazilians and Mexicans.

The new Pope, an Argentinian of Italian descent conveyed his message through Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle in the Vatican.

“I have high hopes for the Philippines,” said the Pontiff, whom cardinals in the conclave elected on March 13. “May your faith prosper, as well as your devotion to Our Lady and mission to the poor.”

Pope Francis said he is open to visiting the Philippines, which he called “Islands of Saints” in conversations with Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales and Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, non-voting “princes of the Church” who headed the Manila and Cebu archdioceses.

Catholics, other Christians and persons outside the Church have high expectations of the new Pope, the former Buenos Aires Archbishop Jorge Mario Cardinal Bergoglio.

They clamor for the reform of the reportedly fragmented Roman Curia (the papal cabinet) and corruption-saddled Institute for Religious Works (the Vatican bank).

Victims and their advocates seek the removal of sexually abusive priests and of the bishops who failed to bring them to justice.

The faithful and all people of good will, nevertheless, would skirt righteousness if they do not return soon to working in or with the Church for positive social change starting within their own spheres.

It takes just a pinch of bravado (or, pity, an inveterate love of prattling), to make demands on the Successor of Peter the Fisherman.

But it takes genuine humility and wisdom for a man or woman to listen and strive to live up to the Pope’s, and by providence the Church’s and Jesus Christ’s hopes.

The Holy Father, namesake of ecology patron Saint Francis of Assisi has urged Filipinos to shine brighter in faith, sparkle in devotion to their Mama Mary and flex their muscles in uplifting the poor.

The burden lays on Juan de la Cruz and Maria Clara anew to let their piety bear fruit in service in homes and schools, in factories and firms, in the government and nongovernment organizations.

They can translate their Marian devotion into renewed vigor to protect and revive beleaguered Mother Earth, give respite to battered wives and harried mothers and free trafficked women and girls.

Snubbing the mirage that 6.6-percent in gross domestic product growth means each Pinoy is already an economic tiger, they can rush to embrace the least, the lost, the poor around them with whom Christ identifies, giving them not crumbs to get by but every opportunity to be enriched and empowered both in matter and in spirit.

If Filipino Catholics and those who share their vision of the true, good and beautiful step up to the pontifical challenge, they can become a veritable nation of saints.