Meeting with families: Pope to hear about poverty, migration and disability

Pope Francis will be hearing how the Filipino family life is affected by poverty, migration, and physical disabilities, organizers of the papal visit said on Friday.

 

Fr. Dennis Soriano, liturgist for the meeting of families at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on January 16, said representatives from three families will give their testimonies at the event.

He said the topics will be on poverty, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), and persons with disabilities (PWDs).

 

"Naglista ng different situations ng families and nag-stand out itong tatlong ito. These are the three experiences to be shared in the presence of the Pope," Soriano said.

 

The Philippines is a major source of manpower for other countries, with more than 1.46 million landbased overseas Filipinos and 367,166 seafarers worldwide as of 2013.
 

Pope wants 'eye contact' with delegates

 

According to Msgr. Esteban Lo, chaplain of the Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord and in charge of the said event, the delegation at the event will be made up of representatives chosen from archdioceses and dioceses in the Philippines, families who are members of groups "within the church," and urban poor families from Metro Manila.

 

About 300 individuals from urban poor families will be selected by Caritas Manila, added Fr. Anton Pascual, president of Radio Veritas.

 

While organizers wished to accommodate more families in the event, Pasig Bishop Mylo Vergara, media committee head, noted that Vatican representatives overlooking the preparations had told them not to sit delegates behind Pope Francis and the podium he would likely use.

 

The request may further limit the number of seats at the event, but was sought by the Pope to make his encounter with the families "respectful" and "personal," Vergara said.

 

"They told us clearly that if the Holy Father was in the platform and there are still spaces at the back, dapat walang tao sa likod. The Holy Father wants it to be a respectful encounter. He wants the people he will meet to have eye contact with him personally," he said.

 

The arena has a seating capacity of 15,000, but can hold as many as 20,000 people. Vergara said each diocese are allowed to send only 100 participants.

 

He added that they are looking into putting LED screens outside for other families who would wish to witness the event.

 

Meeting with families 

 

Soriano clarified that no mass will be held during the event, but added, "We will celebrate the liturgy of the word."

 

Aside from the testimonies, the program will include the reading of the gospel (the plight of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph to Egypt), reflection and words from the Pope, prayers of the faithful, and the blessing of families that will participate there.

 

The prayers will be in Latin, while sharing of experiences will be done in English, he added.

 

The gates to the MOA Arena will open at 11 a.m., with Pope Francis expected to arrive there at 5:30 p.m.

 

Prior to the said event, a mass will be held at the Manila Cathedral, with some 2,000 bishops, priests, and religious attending.

 

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, chair of the organizing committee, earlier said that only two of Pope Francis' events are open to the public: the papal mass at Tacloban City in Leyte, and the concluding mass at Luneta park in Manila. 

 

Most of Pope Francis' activities will be in Manila, where he is scheduled to meet with representatives from various sectors, including government leaders at Malacañang, as well as the youth and leaders of other religions at the University of Santo Tomas.

 

He will also spend most of January 17 at Tacloban City and Palo in Leyte, an expected highlight of his visit as he will meet with survivors of the Bohol earthquake and super typhoon Yolanda. —NB, GMA News