Cardinal Advincula: Heed Pope Francis' call to be smugglers of faith

Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula has called on the Filipino Catholic faithful to heed the late Pope Francis’ call to be “smugglers of faith,” just like how the Holy Father defined his 12-year papacy.

“It is also with profound grief that we now gather to pray for our beloved Holy Father, Pope Francis, our dear Lolo Kiko, who has passed from this world to return to the house of the Father. We remember him for joyfully witnessing the gospel in our world marred by calamity, conflict, and despair,” Cardinal Advincula said during the Manila Cathedral Mass for the Eternal Repose of the Soul of Pope Francis, who died of stroke and irreversible heart failure on Easter Monday, April 21.

Pope Francis was 88 years old.

“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 added, recalling Pope Francis’ visit to Manila and Tacloban in the aftermath of the devastation brought by Super Typhoon Yolanda which killed over 6,000 people.

During the Mass at the epicenter of Yolanda’s wrath in Tacloban amid raging rain, Pope Francis wore the same yellow raincoat as the rest of the faithful who still showed up for the Mass despite reeling off the losses of their loved ones.  

“As we reflect on the journey of Pope Francis' pontificate, our hearts are filled with gratitude for the gift of his person, a precious gift of God to the Church and to the world, and in a very special way to us as Filipino people. 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,” Cardinal Advincula said.

“May we always be, as He called us, smugglers of the faith, carrying the light of Christ to every corner of the earth. From the very beginning of his Petrine ministry, the Holy Father Pope Francis has reminded us that the Church must be close to the poor, merciful to all, and a welcoming home for the forgotten. Pope Francis reminds us time and again, to meet the living God, we must tenderly kiss the wounds of Jesus in our hungry people, in the sick, and in imprisoned brothers and sisters,” he added.

Cardinal Advincula also recalled how the Holy Father embraced the Filipinos’ joy, faith, and longing for a Church that walks with its people during his Luneta Mass and as evidenced by his appointments during his  papacy, including the appointment of Advincula as Cardinal.

“He appointed many of our shepherds, including three cardinals and many bishops who share His heart for service, simplicity, and dialogue. 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,” Cardinal Advincula said.

Pope Francis’ challenge

In closing, Cardinal Advincula underscored that the Catholic Church should embrace Pope Francis’ challenge of keeping the Catholic Church as a source of light and hope rather than blindness.

“At the conclusion of the synod last year, our dear Pope Francis challenged all of us to a mission. He said, we should not be a blind church, but a church enlightened by Christ that brings the light of the gospel to others. [We should] not [be] a static church, but a missionary church that walks with her Lord through the streets of the world,” Cardinal Advincula said.

“Like Mary Magdalene, may we come to say, I have seen the Lord so that we may be filled with joy and give life to others. We pray for the eternal repose of the soul of our dear Pope Francis,” Cardinal Advincula added. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News