Discernment
and dignity at heart of Pope's words to Filipino leaders
(Vatican Radio) The first full day of Pope Francis’ pastoral
visit to the people of the Philippines began with an official welcome from the
country’s leader Benigno Aquino in the Malacanan presidential palace in Manila.
A private encounter between the Pope and the President was followed by a
meeting with the country’s diplomats and political leaders, during which the
Holy Fatherchallenged the nation’s ruling class to tackle what he termed the “glaring,
and indeed scandalous, social inequalities” that persist in their country
today.
The head of Vatican
Radio’s English Section, Sean-Patrick Lovett is in Manila following this papal
visit and takes a closer look at what the Pope had to say….
The contrast was striking.
One moment the Pope
was outside, being driven through the streets of Manila amid the raucous noise
and confusion of excited crowds – the next he was inside the solemn and austere
confines of the Presidential Palace being greeted with hushed and respectful
tones by members of the Philippine government and diplomatic corps.
The first part of
Friday morning’s official welcome ceremony at Malacanan required the Pope to
sign the so-called “Golden Book”. This is what he wrote, in English: “On the
President and people of this beloved land of the Philippines, I ask Almighty
God’s abundant blessings of wisdom, discernment, prosperity and peace”.
That’s something new.
Not the fact of signing the visitor’s book or invoking blessings of prosperity
and peace. It’s that word “discernment”, a very Jesuit word, most often
associated with Ignatian spirituality, the simplest meaning of which is “the
ability to decide between truth and error, between right and wrong”.
It’s the word that set
the tone for the Pope’s first public speech here in the Philippines, a speech
addressed precisely to those who make the decisions: government leaders, authorities,
diplomats, and the President himself.
Pope Francis began by
repeating the primary reason for his visit to this country: to express his
closeness “to those who endured the suffering, loss and devastation caused by
Typhoon Yolanda”. But he quickly went on to the heart of his message which
regarded what he called “the moral imperative of ensuring social justice and
respect for human dignity”. The Pope spoke of the need to “break the bonds of
injustice and oppression which give rise to glaring, and indeed scandalous,
social inequalities”. He called for greater attention to be given the poor and
the family, and for greater respect for the rights of conscience, religious
freedom and the right to life. “A culture of integrity”, he said, becomes “the
moral glue which holds society together”.
The Pope concluded by
praising efforts “to promote dialogue and cooperation between the followers of
the different religions” and expressed his trust that “progress made in
bringing peace to the south of the country will result in just solutions” and
in respect of the inalienable the rights of all, “including the indigenous
peoples and religious minorities”.
In his welcome speech,
President Benigno Aquino III, began by praising the contribution of the Church
in the Philippines during the Marcos dictatorship and its role in the People
Power Revolution that brought about the dictator’s downfall in 1986. But he
went on to make critical comments aimed at what he called “some members of the
clergy” in the Philippines for being silent “before the wrongs of the previous
administration” and for “rendering judgement without an appreciation of the
facts”.
It will be interesting
to see how both speeches are commented upon by the media over the next few
hours and days. I promise to keep you informed.
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