Gemma Cruz Araneta
In the Vatican, a born controversialist has occupied the chair of St. Peter. He has lifted the privilege of “pontifical secrecy” which has concealed and tolerated abuses and crimes committed by all levels of the clergy.
Last December, he appointed a young Filipino cardinal, the former Archbishop of Manila, Luis Antonio Tagle, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
That means missionary work in a world where faith is waning, where only a few listen to the Word of God. Is Pope Francis preparing us for the Quincentennial? Is he reminding the Church that after 550 years the sacred institution needs a surge of evangelization to survive?
On 15 December, St. Peter’s Basilica was filled to bursting with seven thousand five hundred Filipinos who came from all over Italy in bus and plane loads.
In the past, there were other Simbang Gabi at the Vatican, but that was the first time Holy Mass was celebrated by the Pope himself. I watched the replay during the Noche Buena dinner at my brother’s place where the family usually gathers.
I hope no one thought I was deliberately being rude because I was glued to the TV, totally fascinated with the Simbang Gabi at the Vatican. High Mass was concelebrated by 150 Filipinos priests, most of whom looked as if they were barely 30.
I heard prayers and hymns in both Filipino and English. Pope Francis declared that they were all gathered there to celebrate “Simbang Gabi” and he explained, in Italian, the minutiae of this centuries-old Filipino tradition.
As the cameras hovered over Pope Francis’ flock, I could see smiling happy faces, tears of joy welled in many a ladies’ eyes, children were unusually well-behaved.
It was indeed gratifying to hear the successor of St. Peter, the rock upon whom Jesus Christ built His Church acknowledge the fact that Filipino migrants and overseas workers have been piercingly effective in spreading the Gospel all over the world.
In many European countries, people do not go to Mass anymore, so churches are empty, if not totally abandoned, their doors shut for lack of a community of believers.
However, the more than 2 million Filipinos who have migrated to look for greener pastures have “smuggled” the faith even to very dangerous places, according to Pope Francis.
He told Filipinos that their special mission is to spread the leaven of faith in parishes, “share your culture and spiritual wealth,” he exhorted, “but also learn from the experiences of others.” He reminded the Filipinos to pray for the oppressed, for the starving, the distressed and those who like at the margins of society (the laylayan?) But, the special mission, specially for Filipino women is “to smuggle the Faith.”
In 2021, it will be 550 years since the Cross came to our shores, accompanied by the Sword. Missionaries from Spain came to evangelize and spread the Catholic faith, with the assistance of the conquistadors. How ironic that after 550 years, we Filipinos are bringing back to Europe the the Word of God, the Cross, but this time without the cruel sword.