#BlessedByThePope: Pinoy nun recounts meeting Pope Francis in Manila Cathedral Mass

Sr. Nenita Canlas was grateful—ecstatic even—about about being among the 2,000 members of the clergy and the religious at the Mass at the Manila Cathedral with Pope Francis as main celebrant.

 

She has been suffering from cervical spondylosis for five years, and while that hasn't stopped her vocation, she goes about them wearing a neck brace and using a cane as support for walking.

 

And when that becomes too much, she goes mobile using a wheelchair.

 

Friday, she got to be in front because of this pain. She was among those closest to the altar where Pope Francis was leading his first Mass in the Philippines.


 

 

'Like kissing the hand of Jesus'

 

On video, she was clasping the Pope's left hand with both of hers, her head bowed on it. The Pope lingered and waited for her to look up. It lasted six seconds, then the Pope moved to the nun to the right.

 

She said in those moments felt she was "like kissing the hand of Jesus."

 

"Humahagulgol ako," she told GMA News Online. "All I wanted was to be there. When the bishop told me I was going to see the Holy Father, I said I could walk already! I didn't expect this. You could feel the love of the Father through him."

 

When told she was lucky, she smiled, but added: "Maswerte tayo. Napakaswerte natin. We really are blessed despite everything."

 

"See, there is also blessing in pain. But I don't think my pain is as much as those experienced by our fellowmen. We need to reach out to them," she added. 

 

'Start the reconciliation'

 

Canlas, who has been in the vocation for nearly 40 years, sees the encounter, and the visit as a whole, as a privilege with an accompanying responsibility for the religious to "be the one to start the reconciliation."

 

"We need to lift up our religious duty to the Lord and be the one start the reconciliation. Lalo na 'yung compassion for the poor. We need to lift it up, to share the love we have experienced," she said.

 

She added her hopes for the religious -- and the Filipino people -- to seek renewal "hindi lang dahil nandito si Pope, but throughout our lives." 

 

'Ambassadors of Christ'

 

In his homily during the Mass, Pope Francis reminded the Filipino clergymen and religious present of their role as "ambassadors of Christ."

 

He said the core of their evangelization is "to invite everyone to a renewed personal encounter with the Lord Jesus."

 

He also called on the church representatives to embrace the poor, live in piety, be champions of social justice.  “The Church in the Philippines is called to acknowledge and combat the causes of the deeply rooted inequality and injustice which mar the face of Filipino society, plainly contradicting the teaching of Christ."

 

According to the latest Catholic Directory of the Philippines (2014-2015) by Claretian Publications, the country has 2,115 religious priests (i.e. Jesuits, Dominicans, Franciscans, Augustinians, Recollects), 6,118 diocesan priests, 11 auxiliary bishops, 69 bishops, 16 archbishops, 2 cardinals, 32 archbishops/bishops emeriti, and 2 cardinals emeriti.

 

In addition, there are 10,826 religious sisters, 892 religious brothers, and 126 deacons.  — ELR, GMA News