ONLY moments after Shepherd One, the jet which carried Pope Francis back to Rome, took off on Monday, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle reiterated the invitation for the pope to grace an important Catholic congress in Cebu next year.
“The Philippines will host on January 15 to 18 next year the 51st International Eucharistic Congress in Cebu. Will the pope come again for that? We hope so,” the cardinal said in a briefing after the pope’s departure.
“There’s already an invitation for the pope to come to the Eucharistic Congress,” Tagle said, noting that the decision to hold the congress in the Cebu had already been made, months before the pope decided last year to come to comfort the victims of Typhoon Yolanda.
The decision to hold the 51st Eucharistic Congress in Cebu was announced by Pope Benedict XVI during the 50th Eucharistic Congress in Dublin, Ireland in 2012 and was originally scheduled for May 2016.
The Vatican, which was entertaining the idea of the pope attending the congress, asked that the date be moved to January 2016 because the pope had prior engagements in May.
After the Yolanda tragedy in November 2013, however, the pope decided to come and comfort the victims sooner and church officials said chances that Francis can attend the congress have dimmed because it was unlikely that the pontiff would visit the same country in succeeding years.
But Tagle said there was hope that the pontiff would decide to return to the country in 2016.
“It is the decision of the Holy Father,” the cardinal said. “The event is there, but the Holy Father will have to decide.”
The 2016 Eucharistic Congress will be the second to be held in the Philippines since the 33rd International Eucharistic Congress which was held in Manila from February 3 to 7, 1937 during the pontificate of Pope Pius XI. It was the first congress to be held in Asia.
The congress was attended by approximately one and a half million people from all over the world, and included a religious procession of 600,000 people. Pontifical masses were held in Rizal Park, with hundreds of thousands of people attending.
Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, one of the country’s four living cardinals, said he had wanted to personally gone to the see and invite the pope to the congress since he was also in Manila during the papal visit.
However, Vidal, who will turn 84 on February 6, was recuperating from pneumonia and he was ordered by his doctors to stay in bed.
Meanwhile, Tagle urged Filipinos to act on the lessons that the pope imparted during his five-day.
‘’We [ought to] spend time relishing the event. The event is so deep. There is so much to reflect on, so much to pray over, so much to learn,’’ the cardinal said. ‘’It is only in meditation, in prayer, in silence that we can really get to the depths of the profound meaning of this event.”
‘’Let us spend time reflecting on… the spiritual message, and also the missionary message, the centrality of loving the poor, of appreciating children who are helpless,’’ he added. ‘’If we ponder on them, it will prod us into action. How do we face the inequalities?”
People agreed with Tagle that Francis articulated messages that are already germinating in people’s minds.
“Nasanay na kasi tayong mga Pinoy na binobola ng mga politiko na dapat nangangalaga sa atin [We Filipinos are so used to being fooled by politicians who are supposed to take care of us],” said accountant Layana Patria Orosco.
“So it is quite inspiring and gives much hope when a sincere religious leader, whom you know will not make empty promises, arrives,” Orosco said, wishing that Francis could return to the country soon.
Makati resident Lou Villamar also wants the pope to return soon because he inspires people to become better, noting the marked change in the behavior of people during the pope’s visit.
“He demonstrated how leaders should care and sacrifice for the poor. What the pope has done can put pressure on our leaders and can influence the masses not to vote for corrupt and incompetent officials,” said Villamar.
“Pope Francis touches me and I cried. There was an impact and I want to see him again . It’s really a phenomenon just like the World Youth Day in 1995,” said government employee Cristy Manapul of Manila.
Francisco Rodriguez, an insurance firm officer and resident of Paranaque City, said he wishes the pope can come again soon so he can go and touch lives in other places in the country.
“I also believe that the pope can play a crucial role in galvanizing a credible and lasting peace in Mindanao. While this may seem to be a far fetched idea, a move as bold as this sends a clear message of love that transcends religious ideologies,” he said.
“We are blessed, but I want the pope to give more blessings to the people of Leyte, especially the victims of typhoon Yolanda. His stay there was not enough I think, and there are many places he wasn’t able to see there, ” said Rosa Espiritu of Tondo, Manila.