Pope Francis: The face of Jesus in a world longing for light
After twelve years of serving as a paragon of Christ’s compassion and mercy – not only for Catholics but also for those shunned by society – Pope Francis, or Lolo Kiko as we Filipinos affectionately called him, has returned to our Creator at the age of 88.
He was a shepherd who led not with grandiosity, but with the quiet strength of humility. A revolutionary in cassock and sandals, Pope Francis guided with grace the Catholic Church through turbulent times. He will always be remembered urging us to walk with the marginalized, to care for our common home, and to find God not in gilded and privileged walls, but in broken hearts and open arms.
His papacy was marked by courage: blessing members of the LGBTQIA+ community as God’s beloved children, confronting clerical abuse head-on with the formation of an internal commission for accountability, and consistently challenging the Church to evolve while remaining anchored in Christ’s teachings.
He spoke truth to power, inside and outside the Vatican. And he accomplished this while meeting reluctance, if not resistance from conservative factions within the Church itself. But that never stopped him from extending the arms of the Church wider than ever before, and was widely hailed across the globe for his progressive spirit,
From beginning to end, Pope Francis defied expectations and redefined the papacy for a new generation – one more attuned to justice, inclusion, and mercy.
My piece of Lolo Kiko
I was among the fortunate ones who closely covered his 2015 apostolic visit to the Philippines as part of the ABS-CBN news team. That assignment wasn’t just another news coverage for me – it became a deeply personal moment of grace. As a journalist, I chased deadlines. But as a believer, I found myself chasing the light of faith Lolo Kiko embodied.
The memory is etched clearly in my heart. The last time a pope visited the country before Lolo Kiko, I had just graduated from college. I was at the Quirino Grandstand, eyes wide and heart full, watching Pope St. John Paul II. That day remains unforgettable. But when I was tasked to cover Pope Francis, the joy felt a little different, a little deeper. I wasn’t just a spectator. This time, I was a close witness.
In preparing for that historic coverage, I immersed myself in learning about the man behind the white cassock. I listened to stories shared by Church leaders like the Pope’s close friend, Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Soc Villegas (one of the Papal Visit’s lead organizers as President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines) -– accounts that painted a picture not of a distant religious figure, but of a deeply human, relatable man of God.
The humanity of a Pope
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires to Italian immigrants, he was known for his heart even as a young man. He loved football and tango. Did you know that to help his family, he once worked as a janitor and a nightclub bouncer? He entered the seminary at 22. All seemingly very ordinary beginnings for someone who would one day be a revolutionary within the Church itself.
And when the mantle of the papacy was placed upon his shoulders, he stayed true to his roots. He rejected opulence. Pope Francis turned down the red papal shoes, and lived modestly, just as a Jesuit should.
His choice of the name “Francis,” in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, was a clear signal of his mission: to serve the poor, care for creation and live a life of radical humility.
Who would have thought that this man, with his quiet beginnings and simple heart, would go on to realign the direction of a centuries-old institution? And yet, he did. Not through force, but through love.
The visit that moved a nation
When Pope Francis arrived at Villamor Airbase on January 15, 2015, the nation came alive in love and adoration. It was as though his presence unlocked a collective grace among us. I remember feeling the energy of the crowd – the love, the reverence, the tears of hope. We journalists weren’t just observers; we were participants in a moment of national spiritual ease.
The Pope many times reached out – stretched out – to the people that feel many had turned away from them: divorcees, members of the LGBTQ+ community, victims of calamity and conflict. He welcomed them with open arms. And we felt it – his sincerity, his compassion, his deep longing to serve.
And then — fourteen months after one of the worst typhoons in the country’s history — the Pope would make his way to Tacloban, the epicenter of the calamity. He was there to console us as a nation of believers, and to deliver an important message especially to those who were left with almost nothing.
When Lolo Kiko turned grief into grace
The despair that was once overwhelming was replaced with courage, faith, peace, and hope in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda. Because of Pope Francis, that tragic day is no longer remembered only with heartbreak, but also with a quiet, resilient hope.
He redefined Yolanda not as a day of sorrow, but as a day of peace, courage, and deepened faith.
Amidst the calamity, Lolo Kiko stood as a pillar of strength. What was once a grave for dreams and lives lost became, through his presence, an altar of recovery and spiritual renewal.
Tacloban, flooded with tears, found a new chapter.
That someone could move a devastated people in such a way — to replace fear with faith, and sorrow with hope — could only mean one thing: Pope Francis was truly a holy man. He was imbued with the Holy Spirit.
The holiness of Lolo Kiko radiated through his every simple smile, in the way he embraced the grieving and the broken.
At that moment, I felt as though we were being embraced by the Holy Spirit, giving us the strength to stand again. That was the Lolo Kiko effect.
Lolo Kiko’s legacy
Pope Francis’ visit was not just a historical event. It was a blessing. He reminded the Philippines – and the world –of the power of prayer. He stood as a symbol of truth and humility. He was a father who grieved with his children, a true reflection of Christ’s love.
As a journalist, I learned that in a world full of noise, Lolo Kiko’s quiet example became the most powerful sermon of all. Until his final breath, he showed us that true greatness lies in serving others.
He not only taught us through his words but showed us through his life that the real treasures in this world aren’t material. They are found in mercy, compassion, and faith. His papacy challenged systems but comforted souls. He made space for the forgotten, and he reminded us that the Church can and must be a home for all.
Lolo Kiko deepened my faith in God. He clarified the mission for people like me – not just as a broadcaster, but as a person – to pass on hope and to help others.
As we now pray for the repose of his soul, we also pray for the future of the Church he tried so hard to reform. May the next pontiff walk the road he courageously paved – a road of mercy, inclusion, and love.
Maraming salamat po, Lolo Kiko. Please help us to live as you had lived. Thank you for your humility and compassion, for being the face of Jesus in a world longing for light.
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