MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) expressed sadness after the passing of Pope Francis, urging the Filipino public to remember The Holy Father’s example of “compassion and humility.”
“The Department of Foreign Affairs joins the Filipino people and Roman Catholics around the world in mourning the death of His Holiness Pope Francis,” the DFA said in a statement.
As the country joins the world in mourning the loss of the Pontiff, the DFA fondly remembered the historic visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines in 2015.
“The Pontiff visited the country on 15-19 January 2015 during which he held mass for millions of Catholic faithful in Manila, Tacloban City, and Palo municipality in Leyte province,” the DFA stated.
“As we mourn this great loss, we remember The Holy Father's example of compassion and humility,” the DFA added.
Best known for his encyclical Laudato si: (Praise be to You), Pope Francis was a beloved spiritual leader for tens of millions of Filipinos who follow his writings on how to care for the environment, as well as his advocacy for more protection for the poor and the oppressed, the DFA said.
Pope Francis, or Jorge Mario Bergoglio, died on Monday aged 88, due to a stroke, followed by a coma and irreversible cardio circulatory collapse, as reported in the official certification from the Directorate of Health and Hygiene of the Vatican City State.
According to the medical report, the Pope suffered acute respiratory failure caused by multimicrobial bilateral pneumonia, multiple bronchiectases, high blood pressure, and Type II diabetes.
Popularly known as the “People’s Pope”, he is the first pope from Latin America and defended the most underprivileged and discriminated, such as migrants and communities severely affected by climate change.
In 2015, Pope Francis made a pastoral and state visit to the Philippines with the theme “Mercy and Compassion,” in Filipino “Habag at Malasakit.”
During the visit, the Pope also visited victims of Typhoon Yolanda (International name: Haiyan) and shared a meal with survivors of the typhoon and of the earlier Bohol earthquake.
His visit to the Philippines in January 2015 is considered the largest papal event in history, with around 6-7 million attendees in his final Mass at Manila, surpassing even the then-largest papal event at World Youth Day in 1995, also in Manila, reports said.
