And in true Filipino fashion, traits tending to ever excess in their expression. Thus, the previsit admonition from both the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and the papal visit organizing committee.
Like no gastronomic feast but simple fare, like adobo, in the pontiff’s meals, especially that which he would share with the still-suffering Yolanda survivors. Like no red carpet treatment at the sites he would visit, Malacanang not excluded.
Like the apostolic nunciature as home for the duration of his visit, not some presidential suite in some five-star hotel. Like the utilitarian, iconic jeepney, instead of a luxurious Mercedes Benz, for popemobile. Like no embellished throne for his chair in all the events he would attend.
As Luis Cardinal Tagle said in an interview with Vatican Radio: “…the Pope will not be happy if he sees ostentatious preparations. Even the design of the altar must speak of the sobriety that has been the mark of this Pope, of his simplicity.”
Noted the interviewer: “The people of the Philippines are very generous in expressing their affection. Has it been difficult to hold them back?” Cardinal Tagle: “In a way, yes. But then we explained to the people, not only the desires of the Pope, but the signs of the times. We do not want to cause scandal.
Everyone can find an excuse to give him a lavish welcome – after all he is the Pope. Still, we should be mindful of the many people we need to welcome in our midst on a daily basis: the poor and the hungry. So whatever savings we make from the papal trip, will go to charity, will go to the poor.
And the Pope is very explicit about hat.” Signs of the times that needed explaining too – Cardinal Tagle did not have to mention but the CBCP instantly acted on – were the very words of Francis extracted out of context, misappropriated to advance advocacies adverse to their original intent.
Like abs-cbnstore.com’s souvenir T-shirts that carried the statement “No race. No religion. I embrace diversity” and marketed with the hashtag PopeTYSM – meaning “Thank You Sa Malasakit.”Given that the statement messaged Francis’ “openness,” still it was “misleading and quite frankly erroneous,” said CBCP president Archbishop Socrates Villegas.
Urging the Catholic faithful “not to patronise items with misleading posts and statements.” Declared Archbishop Villegas: “Francis has never said and taught that religion and ace do not matter, because they most certainly do. It is what selfish, uncharitable and judgmental people do with religion and race that is a problem.”
ABS-CBN has since apologised and pulled the T-shirts from its shops and those of its retail partners. Cautionary as well as explanatory advisement is in order too where intensereligious fervor seems to go overboard in its translation to actual practice.
The intent may by all means be intrinsically good, holy, or godly. But the act itself can be infirm spiritually, if not altogether incorrect theologically. Like the Pope Francis biscuits now selling like the proverbial hotcakes.
Foremost Kapampangan chef Atching Lilian Borromeo had nothing but the noblest of intentions in crafting the panecillos de Santo Papa as, in her words, expression of her “Godgiven grace that I must spend helping other people through my God-given (cooking) talent.”
It cannot be disputed that, as Prof. Robby Tantingco of Holy Angel University’s Center for Kapampangan Studies puts it, Atching Lilian’snow famous biscuits are the Kapampangan’s “creative way of welcoming the Pope.” The Francis biscuits are patterned on the pan de San Nicolas, named after the 14th century Italian saint and mystic, and which, partakers believe, have “healing” powers.
In our youth, our grandmother never failed to serve us putosannicolas at the very first sign of fever. With a “curative” puto of his own now, Pope Francis may have been unwittingly elevated to sainthood in the mind of the old faithful, of the cerrado Catolico.
Which is not too outlandish an idea, given his rock star status and the media hype surrounding him. Indeed, while the biscuit may have canonized Francis, a mere poster of “I (heart)) Pope Francis The Musical” may have apotheosized him, appropriating for him the very divinity of Christ.
Here is that poster with an article of Christian faith: “He’s got the whole world in his hands.”In Church iconography, it is only the Christ – in representation as the Infant Jesus of Prague and Christ the King – that holds the world in his hands.In Church iconology this is symbolic of His sovereignty over the whole world – as the Cristo Rey hymn goes Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.
Only the Christ can, and does, hold the world in his hands. Not any saint, not even any of the other Persons in the Trinity. Much, much, infinitesimally less a living human being, no matter if he’s the Pope. That poster – without any ill meaning on the part of its designer, for sure – not only brims with blasphemy but also smacks of heresy.
Gone overboard here indeed. The brilliance of the vicar blinding us to the Savior. A perversion of transrepresentation that takes the road straight to perdition. Indeed, as Pope Francis himself declared: His visit to the Philippines should not be focused on him, Francis, but on Jesus Christ. Just listen to him, shall we?
