We gather with heavy hearts yet grateful spirits as we remember the life and ministry of Pope Francis—a man who was not only the leader of the universal Church but who, to many Filipinos, became much more personal. We fondly called him “Lolo Kiko,” our beloved grandfather. In this time of worldwide mourning, I invite us to pause and reflect on the unique way he touched our lives, a legacy woven with mercy, humility, and a pastoral closeness that felt deeply like family.
For many, Pope Francis is remembered for his gentleness and simplicity. But for us here in the Philippines, he became something like family. I recall vividly his visit to Tacloban after Typhoon Yolanda—those days of overwhelming loss and heartbreak. He walked among the ruins, touched the suffering, and sat with our people in grief. It was there that a beautiful, tender bond was formed. We did not just see him as the pope; we saw him as a grandfather who carried our pain and offered hope. From that moment, many of us began calling him “Lolo Kiko,” a name full of warmth and trust—our gentle grandfather who never left us in our darkest hours.
Lolo Kiko’s love for us went beyond any official role. He embraced Filipino families and our youth with open arms and words full of encouragement. His call to the young to “be protagonists of your own history” (Address to youth, Manila, 2015) spoke to our hopes and dreams. And he knew well the heart of Filipino culture, where family is everything. His humble presence and warm smile made us feel he walked with us, urging each one—old and young—to place their trust confidently in God’s faithful love.
More than that, Pope Francis reminded us about the true mission of the Church. He often described it as a “field hospital after battle” (Evangelii Gaudium, 2013), a place not of judgment but of healing and comfort to the wounded. This powerful image echoes deeply in our context here in the Philippines, where so many face poverty and hardship daily. He urged us not to stay within the comfortable walls of the Church but to go out to the peripheries — the poor, the marginalized, the forgotten. “The Church’s very credibility is seen in how she shows merciful and compassionate love... to the poorest, the weakest, the least important” (Evangelii Gaudium, 2013). Just like our Filipino spirit of bayanihan, the Church is called to journey with others, to heal, and to uplift.
At the very center of Lolo Kiko’s teaching was mercy — God’s infinite mercy that never tires of reaching out. He spoke beautifully, “Mercy is the bridge that connects God and man, opening our hearts to the hope of being loved forever despite our sins” (Misericordiae Vultus, 2015). That message touched a chord among us Filipinos, for mercy and forgiveness are at the heart of our healing as families and communities. Through his witness, many found strength to reconcile and to hope again.
He also inspired us to care more deeply for our common home. His encyclical Laudato Si’ (2015) was a heartfelt invitation to protect the environment—a call profoundly meaningful to our archipelago, so often battered by storms and calamities. “We need to strengthen the conviction that we are one single human family” (Laudato Si’, 2015). If we truly see ourselves as one family, protecting our earth becomes an act of faith and love.
In today's societies too often fractured by distrust and division, Pope Francis was tireless in calling for peace and dialogue. His words, “Dialogue is the path to peace” (Address to leaders of various religions, 2014), remind us especially here in Mindanao and throughout our country that peace begins by listening and building bridges. Let us be inspired to be instruments of that peace in our families, communities, and nation.
Finally, we recall Lolo Kiko’s humility and his revolutionary call for synodality — the Church as a journeying community, walking and listening together. He reminded us that Synodality means walking together, listening to each other, and discerning the Holy Spirit’s guidance." This harmonizes perfectly with our Filipino value of pakikipagkapwa-tao, recognizing our shared dignity and responsibility. This kind of Church is alive, vibrant, and ready to embrace the future with hope.
My dear brothers and sisters, as we remember our beloved Lolo Kiko, let us honor him not only with our tears but with the way we live. May we continue his legacy of mercy, humble service, and joyful witness. May the Filipino Church become a field hospital for those in need, a family that embraces its youth with hope, and a community that walks together in faith, hope, and love.
Let us pray for the eternal rest of Pope Francis and for the grace to imitate his humble, loving example. May his life always remind us that the Church is built not on power, but on the tender heart as that of a grandfather who loves. Amen.
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