Filipinos mourn Pope Francis, ‘grandpa’ to Asia’s biggest Catholic country

MANILA, Philippines – Filipinos mourned the death of Pope Francis as they remembered his example of “mercy and compassion” when he visited the Philippines in 2015 and supported bishops critical of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.

Francis, who died at the age of 88 on Easter Monday, was fondly called “Lolo Kiko” (Grandpa Kiko) in the country with Asia’s biggest number of Catholics.

“Although we grieve like orphans because he was truly Lolo Kiko for us, we also stand firm in faith and hope that the radiance of the risen Lord will shine upon him forever,” wrote Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan Socrates Villegas in a statement on Monday.

Villegas was the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines when Francis visited the country from January 15 to 19, 2015.

“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 nonbelievers. 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 Jesus for our age,” Villegas said.

Villegas recalled Francis’ trip to the Philippines, particularly his Mass in Tacloban City, Leyte, where he wore a yellow raincoat as a typhoon approached. The Pope was visiting Tacloban to console victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan, which killed at least 6,300 people in November 2013. During that Mass, said Villegas, “we knew that in him, Jesus in our midst.”

He also recalled the time he preached against extrajudicial killings under Duterte.

“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. He knew his bishops. He knew our tears. He knew us and he loved us. He taught us not to fear,” said Villegas.

The current president of the CBCP, Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, described Francis as “a shepherd who walked with his people, often choosing the dusty road toward the peripheries rather than the comfort of the center.”

“Through Evangelii Gaudium and Fratelli Tutti, he reminded us that the heart of the Gospel beats most strongly where pain, poverty, and exclusion dwell. He invited us to be a listening Church — one that opens its ears to the cries of the people and its heart to the stirrings of the Spirit,” said David.

He mentioned the late Pope’s “vision of synodality,” through which Francis “challenged us to rediscover the Church not as a fortress, but as a field hospital — welcoming, healing, and journeying together.” He also cited the papal documents Laudato Si’ and Laudate Deum, both tackling the climate crisis, where “he taught us to see the earth as our common home.”

“And with his characteristic wit and warmth, he once called our Overseas Filipino migrant workers ‘contrabandistas de la fe’ — smugglers of the faith — reminding us that the witness of simple, faithful lives can cross borders and touch hearts where formal missionaries cannot go,” said David.

David said the Church will never forget Francis’ legacy as “bridge-builder.”

“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.

The Archbishop of Manila, Cardinal Jose Advincula, recalled how the Pope reminded Catholics “that the Church must be close to the poor, merciful to all, and a welcoming home for the forgotten.” He said that these words “speak so deeply to the soul of the Filipino faithful.”

“We will always remember his visit to our country in 2015 — a 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,” said Advincula.

In Manila’s iconic Luneta Park, Francis “celebrated the Holy Eucharist with millions,” as he “embraced our joy, our faith, and our longing for a Church that walks with its people.”

“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. He appointed many of our shepherds — including three cardinals and many bishops — who share his heart for service, simplicity, and dialogue,” said Advincula, who himself was made cardinal by Francis.

“And as we celebrated 500 years of Christianity in our land, the Holy Father was with us, thanking God with us for the gift of faith, and encouraging us to continue sharing it with the world. May we always be, as he called us to be, ‘smugglers of the faith,’ carrying the light of Christ to every corner of the earth,” the Filipino cardinal said.

In a statement, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Francis was “a man of profound faith and humility,” who “led not only with wisdom but with a heart open to all, especially the poor and the forgotten.”

Francis was “the best pope in my lifetime,” Marcos said