Pope’s envoy: Filipino faith indestructible

Pope Francis’ official representative, Myanmar Archbishop Cardinal Charles Maung Bo during a pressconference at the IEC Pavillion on the 4th day of the International Eucharistic Congress in Cebu City, where around 12,000 participants gathered to promote centrality of the Eucharist in Christian life. MARRIANNE BERMUDEZ

CEBU CITY – The official representative of Pope Francis to the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) here was impressed that the Filipinos never lose their faith even in the darkest hour.

“Despite all the natural disasters, the only thing that remained mainly with the Filipinos is their faith,” Charles Maung Cardinal Bo of Yangon, Myanmar said in a press conference on Wednesday.

Cardinal Bo was sent by Pope Francis as the papal legate to the global fellowship here in Cebu.

After the IEC, the papal legate will report to the Pope the events that transpired during the congress.

Asked about what would be his report to the Pontiff, he said it would mainly be the faith and the resilient spirit of the Filipinos.

He said that even with the successive disasters that devastated the Philippines, “everything has been stripped off except the faith of the Filipinos.”

But aside from the faith of the Filipinos, he said he would tell the Pope about the “warmest welcome” he received the moment he arrived in Cebu.

He also mentioned about the Filipino smile and said that he was “enjoying the Filipino food.

“It would be hard for me to leave (the Philippines),” he said.

Meanwhile, Fr. Piero Marini didn’t  only praised the richness of faith of the Filipinos but the richness of our culture as well.

“We have encountered here in the Philippines richness of the faith. Not only an encounter of richness of faith but richness of culture,” Marini told reporters in a press conference.

“We have received more than what we brought here in the Philippines,” Marini added, who is a long-time Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations.

He said he hope that “the richness of faith they experienced” in the Philippines could be brought back to their certain churches abroad.