BUTUAN CITY (PIA) — On April 21, the whole world was stunned to hear the passing of the influential Catholic church leader, Pope Francis at the ripe age of 88. The devastating news was announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican secretary and treasurer, during a press conference at the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta, Vatican.
Upon hearing this, Filipino catholics mourned for the loss of a beloved pontiff but at the same time felt a sigh of relief that the pope would no longer suffer from the complications of his illness.
Butuan City is one of the cities in the Philippines where the majority of its citizens are catholics. Governing the church with compassion and inclusivity, Pope Francis captivated the hearts of many and created an invisible but strong connection with the people as he inspired them to nurture their faith.
Rev. Fr. Daryl Glenn Tatoy, spokesperson of the Diocese of Butuan, greets Pope Francis as a young seminarian back in 2014. It has been a customary gesture by the late pope to greet his mass servers one-by-one before the mass.
“They received the news with sadness,” said the Spokesperson of the Diocese of Butuan, Rev. Fr. Daryl Glenn Tatoy, when asked about the initial reaction of Butuanon Catholics upon hearing the news of Pope Francis’ death.
“People were surprised because no one expected it, especially since the pope still made a public appearance on Easter Sunday, a day before his death. On the other hand, I can also see that people are generally thankful to God for giving us Pope Francis, a faithful servant and a very loving leader who preached about the mercy of God.” he added.
Despite the sad news, Tatoy reminisced about his extraordinary encounter with the pope when he was still a young seminarian studying in Rome. He vividly remembers the date December 12, 2014 when he assisted during the pope’s mass in celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican.
“The organizers requested for Mexican and Filipino seminarians to serve in the mass. Being in my senior year in Theology, I was one of those prioritized to be selected so that we could get the chance to serve at the pope’s mass before we leave Rome after graduation.” Tatoy recalled.
According to Tatoy, it has been Pope Francis’ practice that before the start of a mass, he would personally greet the servers one by one. And so, when it was already his turn to meet the pope, he held the pope’s hand and introduced himself and where he was from.
“Wala man siya’y gisulti, (he didn’t say anything) he just smiled, looked at me, and gave me rosary beads, as was his customary gesture,” Tatoy said, adding that he still keeps the rosary, which he considers a cherished memoir of that special encounter with Pope Francis.
If you were to wear the shoes of an ordinary lay faithful, to see the pope in person would just be like a dream come true. A Butuanon bank associate, Janice Montilla, was lucky enough to be temporarily assigned in Manila at the time of the papal visit in 2015.
“The day before the papal mass at the Rizal Park in Luneta, people from different cities were already coming in droves hoping to secure a spot closest to the altar. My companions suggested that we camp near the park the night before so we can easily go to the venue once it opens.” said Montilla. “I was working in Manila during his visit so I thought to myself I cannot let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity pass.” she added, rekindling the joyful feeling of seeing the pope for the first time in person.
As heartwarming as these encounters were, so was the sorrow that the people of Butuan felt upon hearing the news of Pope Francis’ death. With this, the Diocese of Butuan instructs all parishes within its jurisdiction to toll their respective church bells at 8:00 in the evening for at least 2 minutes every day until the day of his funeral. This is to convey that the church is currently in a state of mourning because of the loss of its beloved leader. The pope’s picture is also placed in a conspicuous place in the parishes and is commemorated during masses. (NJGD, PIA Caraga)
