THIS coming Tuesday, Sept. 22, Pope Francis will start his journey to the United States of America. He will be arriving in Washington DC from Cuba at 4pm and will be welcomed at the White House by President Barack Obama and his staff.
His weeklong visit is packed with parades, processions, meetings, visits, Masses, and speeches in Washington DC, New York and Philadelphia.
He will address the United Congress and the United Nations and will hold a multi-religious service at 9/11 Memorial and Museum, World Trade Center. And as he has always done in his visit to other countries, like the Philippines, his journey will not be complete without being with the poor and the weak members of the society. He will visit the poor children of Our Lady of Queen of Angels School in East Harlem, New York and the prisoners in Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia.
The Holy Father will conclude his visit on Sunday by meeting with US bishops and by celebrating Mass at the conclusion of the World Meeting of Families. Thereafter, he will meet with the organizers, volunteers, and benefactors of the World Meeting of Families and then will depart to Rome.
At 78 years old, Pope Francis has been tirelessly reaching out to the whole world through his homilies, speeches, visits and personal encounters with people from all walks of life.
But beyond his charisma and popularity, Pope Francis projects a profound prayer life and an intimate connection to God. In his personal interview in August 19, 2013 by Father Antonio Spadaro, S.J., editor-in-chief of La Civilta Cattolica — on behalf of America and several other major Jesuit journals around the world — he spoke about his difficulty in giving interviews. He said that he prefers to think carefully rather than give quick responses to on-the-spot interviews. This approach shows how he would like to put all his thoughts in prayer and would connect first with Jesus, our Lord, to discern the Father’s will at every moment of any difficult question regarding Catholic faith, teachings, and practice.
One would say without a doubt that the words and phrases that come from his mouth are products of his profound prayer life and his intimate relationship with Jesus of the Poor and the Weak.
“I can see clearly that what the Church needs today is the ability to heal wounds and warm hearts of faithful, it needs to be by their side. I see the Church as a field hospital after a battle,” he said during his interview with Jesuit priest, Fr. Spadaro.
“The ministers of the Gospel must be people who can warm the hearts of the people, who walk throughout the dark night with them, who know how to dialogue and to descend themselves into their people’s night, into the darkness, but without getting lost. The people of God want pastors, not clergy acting like bureaucrats or government officials. The bishops, particularly, must be able to support the movements of God among their people with patience, so that no one is left behind. But they must also be able to accompany the flock that has a flair for finding new paths,” the Holy Father remarked.
It is no wonder that he bravely decries the crisis in Iraq and Syria as “one of the most overwhelming human tragedies of recent decades.” He calls it an “ocean of pain” that hit the poor, women, children and the elderly the hardest. “In Syria and Iraq evil destroys buildings and infrastructures, but especially the conscience of man,” the Pope told his morning audience with participants of a symposium organized by the Pontifical Council “Cor Unum” on the humanitarian crisis in Syria and Iraq, according to Vatican Insider.
At the international symposium on the pastoral care of street people, Pope Francis also mentioned that street women and children are not “packets” to be traded; they are human beings, each with his or her own name and face, each with God-given identity.
As we welcome Pope Francis here in the US, let us see a man of God who truly represents the truth of the Gospel and the Person of Jesus Christ. Let us see him as an ambassador of faith who advocates for the poorest and weakest members of our society. And let us respond to him with great respect and willingness to work together for the dignity of every human person. Amen!
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From a Filipino immigrant family, Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas was ordained to the priesthood from St. John’s Seminary in 1991. He served as Associate Pastor at St. Augustine, Culver City (1991-1993); St. Martha, Valinda (1993-1999); and St. Joseph the Worker, Canoga Park (1999-2001). In 2001, he served as Administrator Pro Tem of St. John Neumann in Santa Maria, CA, until his appointment as pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary, Los Angeles, in 2002, which lasted 12 years. His term as Associate Director of Pastoral Field Education at St. John’s Seminary began in July 2014.
