Biking along the cruel, chaotic streets of Manila just after the papal visit, I was tempted to cry to the heavens, "Where's the Pope Francis effect?"

 

Maybe it was the euphoria, but I had a faint hope that the culture of Manila's roads would just suddenly change, that the smallest road users would no longer be bullied, and the biggest would be more merciful and compassionate. The jubilation produced such naiveté.

 

Alas, bikers and pedestrians still get no respect, even lolas cradling Santo Niños and trying to cross a street. 

 

But what is it that we should realistically expect after what has been called the equivalent of a national spiritual retreat? Was this all just the defining feel-good event for a selfie generation?

 

Pope Francis inspired even the non-religious and the jaded to hope. He flew into a storm to comfort the suffering, for Chrissake! He tirelessly communed with the masses, hugged kids, gave memorable homilies, and shamed our elites by carrying his own bag. 

 

He didn't shy away from our national problems, and spoke truth to power by denouncing corruption and "scandalous social inequalities" before an audience of political leaders in Malacañang. 

 

He did everything he needed to do. But did we, aside from keeping him safe, clearing the streets for his convoy, and aiming our cell phones at him in huge numbers? After he implored the multitudes at the Luneta Mass to "be protectors of God's creation," they still left tons of trash in their wake. It will take great effort to overcome corruption, social inequalities, and poverty, but how much strain could it be to avoid littering? 

 

Perhaps that papal order needed to be included in the chants of the now-famous barker? Or did Lolo Kiko need to be as specific as, hey people, clean as you go and take home your trash?

 

Or it was simply another blatant example of "the disconnect between popular piety and public behavior," as Ateneo sociologist Jayeel Cornelio puts it. 

 

Showing adoration for the Pope, as millions do every year for the Poong Itim na Nazareno, make many in our society believe that they are blessed and their prayers will be answered. When expressed, these are often private hopes to be cured or protected from harm. The mammoth crowds that gather for the Nazareno likewise leave mountains of trash, as if the inner cleanliness we seek has nothing to do with the state of our surroundings. 

 

Perhaps that is the real message of this pope, expressed in various ways: the key to salvation, even on Earth, is making that leap to valuing the public as much as the private. It would be a spirituality reflected in a society with greater fairness all around. That cultural change could be a Pope Francis effect for the ages. 

 

Respecting each other in public spaces, being kind to total strangers and not just our loved ones, treating with care public resources like parks and government money –– Lolo Kiko is reminding us these too are Christian values. 

 

They also happen to be common blessings in many modern societies, Christian or not. 


The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of this website.