FILIPINO prelates remembered Pope Francis as a shepherd of mercy, humility, and synodality who embraced the peripheries, making him even closer to the hearts of Filipino people.
Pope Francis, who is also fondly known in the country as “Lolo Kiko,” died at 7:35 a.m. on Easter Monday, April 21, at the age of 88.
As Catholics around the world mourned the passing of the people’s pope, Filipino prelates such as Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David, Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula, and others from all around the country, honored him for the legacy he has left behind in the Philippines.
‘Pope Francis was our Jesus for our age’
For Villegas, who was president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) when the pontiff visited the country in 2015, Pope Francis was “Jesus of our age.”
“He was the gift of the Good Shepherd to the Church. He served us with humility. He showed us God’s mercy. He linked us with bridges of compassion with fellow believers and with non-believers,” Villegas said in his “message of sorrow and hope.”
“He bravely disturbed us in our complacency and prejudices. He taught us to care for God’s creation. He taught us Jesus. Pope Francis was our Jesus for our age.”
Villegas also recalled how Pope Francis once encouraged him “not to fear” as a staunch critic of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s war on human rights.
“When I was mocked and ridiculed and threatened by government authorities in my stand against the extrajudicial killings, he assured me and encouraged me personally in Rome to carry on my task of guiding the flock through my pastoral letters,” Villegas said.
‘Through synodality, Pope became a bridge-builder’
One of the most defining marks of the late pope’s 12 years of papacy was his effort to transform the Church toward synodality, which David said is his “legacy as a supreme pontiff” that will “never be forgotten by the Church.”
“He was a shepherd who walked with his people, often choosing the dusty road toward the peripheries rather than the comfort of the center,” David said in a message published by the CBCP.
“Through his vision of synodality, Pope Francis challenged us to rediscover the Church not as a fortress, but as a field hospital—welcoming, healing, and journeying together.”
Months before his death, he concluded the three-year work of synodality which he personally oversaw. In the closing Mass of the Synod of Bishops on Oct. 27, the late pontiff urged the delegates to transform the Church into one that “hears the cry of the world…A Church that gets its hands dirty in serving.”
David led the Filipino delegation in his capacity as CBCP president. He was elevated to the cardinalate by the late pope in December 2024, joining Advincula and Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo whom the pope elevated in 2020 and 2014, respectively.
“Let us pray for the repose of his soul and commit ourselves to carrying forward his call: to grow into a Missionary Synodal Church—one that goes forth, listens deeply, walks humbly with others, and proclaims God’s mercy with joy,” David said.
‘Lolo Kiko was a true father to us’
Reflecting on the pope’s leadership, Advincula said his visit to the Philippines in 2014 is “moment of grace forever etched in our national memory.”
“Under the rain in Tacloban, standing with the survivors of Typhoon Yolanda, Pope Francis showed us what it means to suffer with others and find hope in the midst of pain,” Advincula said in a statement posted on social media by the Archdiocese of Manila.
“In Luneta, as he celebrated the Holy Eucharist with millions, he embraced our joy, our faith, and our longing for a Church that walks with its people.”
This visit drew the largest papal gathering in history, with six to seven million Catholics gathered for the pope’s final Mass at Luneta.
The cardinal, who described Francis as a “true father,” also called on the faithful to reflect on the pope’s ministry toward the peripheries.
“From the very beginning of his Petrine ministry in 2013, the Holy Father has reminded us that the Church must be close to the poor, merciful to all, and a welcoming home for the forgotten,” Advincula said.
“Throughout his pontificate, our Lolo Kiko was a true father to us and has continued to show his love for the Philippines—not only through words, but through actions…Let us honor the memory of Pope Francis by learning from his teachings and following his example of Christian life.”
‘A Pope for all’
Archbishop Rex Alarcon of Caceres, a Thomasian prelate, described Pope Francis’s ministry as a “genuine service and sacrifice” for all of humanity.
“Truly, he did not forget the poor. He was a Pope for ‘todos’ -all,” Alarcon, who was appointed to Caceres by the Pope in 2024, said.
The prelate also said Pope Francis’s final public appearance during Easter Sunday was a “glimpse of hope.”
“His appearance on Easter Sunday was a genuine sacrifice on his part. He allowed us a glimpse of him which gave us a glimpse of hope, a glimpse of Easter. He was a Pope of our time. He was a Pope the Church needed,” he added.
‘Holy and very human father’
Antipolo Bishop Ruperto Santos described the pope as a “holy and very human father.”
“With his paternal and pastoral care, Pope Francis grants us hope and helps us in these turbulent and trying times, he gives us healing [for] ourselves and [for] the world,” he said.
“With his teachings and shepherding examples lead us to give our best to God and to love more our Church.”
Pope Francis appointed Santos as Antipolo bishop on May 24, 2023.
‘Pope’s life was poured out in tireless service’
Commending Pope Francis’s leadership was Bishop Danilo Ulep of Batanes, who said the late pope had left an “indelible mark” for his tireless service not only in the Church but also the world.
“Pope Francis led the Church with profound humility, compassion, and a courageous love that echoed the heart of Christ,” Ulep said. “From his first words as Bishop of Rome, he invited us all to walk together in faith, emphasizing mercy, dialogue, and care for the marginalized.”
Ulep was appointed bishop of Batanes by Pope Francis in 2017.
‘Pope led us to grace-filled path of synodality’
Archbishop Ricardo Baccay of Tuguegarao also reflected on the pope’s synodality legacy, saying he “listened with a father’s heart.”
“The Church mourns a shepherd who walked closely with his flock, listened with a father’s heart, and guided us with wisdom, compassion, and humility,” Baccay said.
“Pope Francis will be remembered as the Pope who led us into the grace-filled path of synodality—teaching us not only to walk together, but to listen deeply to one another, to the Holy Spirit, and to the cry of the poor and the earth,” he added.
Pope Francis transferred Baccay, a Thomasian, from Alaminos to Tuguegarao in 2019.
‘Pray for Pope Francis’
Tarlac Bishop Roberto Mallari called on the faithful to pray for the late pontiff’s eternal repose.
“Ipagdasal din nating ang buong Simbahan upang ang pagkamatay niya ay maging daan upang lalo pang lumago at mag-alab ang ating panananmpalataya.
Mallari was recently appointed by the Pope in December 2024,
Pope Francis’s funeral will be held on Saturday, April 26, at 10 a.m. (4 p.m. PHT) in St. Peter’s Square. He will be laid to rest at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome’s Esquilino neighborhood.
