A week for the world’s youth

As we entered the Leo month of August, we are overwhelmed with the increasing passage of events.

For one, the inconvenient truth of global warming foreseen by Nobel laureate Al Gore years ago is now aggravated by man’s carelessness vis-a-vis the environment. Locally, for example. Just a couple of days ago, heavy rains has caused incredible waist-deep and even neck-deep floods downtown in our Cebu cities due to our careless, thoughtless disposal of garbage, and the informal settlements narrowing our urban waterways. Too late, but better so than never, remedial measures regarding trash disposal, political will in moving out informal settlers and providing them with relocation sites, cleaning out our drainage systems, and repair and widen our city streets, among others.

And now, in the aftermath of President Benigno Aquino III’s heralded fourth State of the Nation Address, after the first approving comments, now the criticisms, suggestions, and “why no future remedial measures and developmental plans?”

But a most significant and uplifting development this week was admiringly called “Slum Pope” Francis’ first world activity, his attendance and participation at the weeklong World Youth Day (WYD) gathering in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. This Bystander followed almost completely on the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) his visit from beginning to until his return to the Vatican in Rome.

As a long-time broadcast practitioner, this Bystander first of all admired the technicalities of the remote control coverage of the event by EWTN staffers with WYD youth partipants from Rio de Janeiro, and the supporting participation of staffers and guests in the EWTN studios in Birmingham, Alabama. I had this valuable on-the-air coverage experience in my early years with radio stations dyRC and dyLA, and the valuable time coordination between studio and remote-control anchors, as well as both their preparatory research on the event. Also a strict adherence to starting and ending times of programs, valuable professionalism I learned early on in my broadcasting career, for which I am grateful. It is also the professionalism I continue to appreciate in TV stations like Solar News, CNN, BBC, and EWTN, among others.

Back to the WYD week in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, where “Bikinis and beach volleyball gave way to rosaries and prayers for world peace as tens of thousands of young Catholics settled at Rio’s famed Copacabana beach for the youth gathering”, to partially quote a news report.

World Youth Day activities were highlighted by the meetings of the Holy Father with the youth who listened and applauded him, together with testimonies from some of them, as well as an estimated three million pilgrims have been reported in detail in press and broadcast media. In attendance through it all were bishops, priests, seminarians and the religious.

My personal impressions are, among others, the humility of the Pope in his white cassock, waving to the crowds lining the streets where his convoy would pass, kissing and blessing chidren presented to him along the way, all the while standing in the open-sided transparent white popemobile. To those concerned, his riding in the popemobile, and particularly his unhesitant walk through the crowds to and from the places and churchew he visited, would be a security nightmare, remembering how an earlier Pope, John Paul II was shot in an open vehicle. But God must certainly have protected the Holy Father through it all, together with his attentive plainly clad security convoy walking or running alongside all the time.

As a media person, too, I was impressed by the detailed preparations with artistically beautiful and technically prepared altar sites for religious ceremonies and addresses in both open-air and churches. And for religious ceremonies, the accompanying youth choirs and full orchestras. But above all, the Holy Father’s unfailing warmth and attention to all he dealt with in proximity despite his certainly tight schedule. A schedule that included spread out trips for appearances with various groups particularly the poor in a slum district, the sick at the Saint Francis of Assissi hospital and devotees in Masses at the Cathedral of San Sebastian and the Shrine of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception of Aprecida.

Then during his homily at closing Mass last Sunday at Copacabana Beach, speaking of missionary discipleship among the youth, he said: “Go make disciples of all nations The Gospel is for everyone. Go, do not be afraid. Evangelize!” This was followed by a long moment of silent meditation by the congregation.

Then at the farewell ceremony at the International Airport, Pope Francis expressed his thanks, and accepted offerings and flowers from children and parents. In his farewell talk, he spoke of “happy memories of peoples’ affection” and their faith in the midst of hardships. He thanked the Bishops, priests, religious, volunteers and the broadcast facilities that carried the affair. He closed by asking them to pray for him, blessing them and saying: “Make disciples of all nations!”

Another major religious observation, this time in the Pilippinews, was the 99th anniversary last Friday of the Iglesia ni Cristo held in Cebu at the South Reclamation Area, that resulted in an incredible clogging of traffic along the South Reclamation Expressway.

More next week on this Bystandering, to include current problems facing us today as well as a report on our Cebu Girl Scouts’ monthly meeting last Thursday.

For now, in closing, do include in your prayers the souls of the following faithful who passed away last week and were interred this week: Romeo Solon, Vicente Cabatingan, and Cecilia Alfafara Florido, with condolences to their respective families.

Until next week, then, as always, may God continue to bless us, one and all!