QUESTIONS FOR THE POPE; STORY FOR THE WORLD.

  What happened to be a fulfilled 5-day visit of the pope Francis II to the Filipinos marked as one of the most historical papal visit to this country came to an end with many questions yet unanswered and posing a major teaser for the world at large not excluding the non-governmental organizations and various bodies that were meant to address them. The nation really showed the world what it meant to be prepared for such visit with 15,000(fifteen thousand) policemen and 12,000 military men on guard with both police and traffic wardens given diapers to maintain security alertness. It was really an experience not to be forgotten in a hurry by the Filipinos.

  

  But beyond the papal tour, what would be considered one of the high points of the event was when 12year old Glyzelle Palomar, a girl that had been picked up from the streets and taken into a charity home by the church tearfully asked the pope- “many children are abandoned by their parents. Many children get involved in drugs and prostitution. Why does God allow these things to happen to us? The children are not guilty of anything. And why are there so few helping us?”

   The pope replied “the nucleus of your question almost doesn’t have a reply. Only when we are able to cry are we able to come close to responding to your question. Those on the margins cry. Those who have fallen by the wayside cry. Those who are discarded cry. But those who are living a life that is more or less without need, we don’t know how to cry.” He continued “there are certain realities that you can only see through eyes that have been cleansed with tears.”

   Miss Palormas question appears to be a question of the century and that meant for His Holiness Pope Francis to answer. But critically looking at the question at this moment the high point of the question was- “and why are there so a few helping us? Having read about the likes of father Flanagan, mother Theresa, Oseola McCarthy about some years ago I began asking   myself repeatedly the later part of miss Palormas question – why are there so few helping the poor these days?

    Father Edward Joseph Flanagan founder of the famous “BOYS TOWN” Nebraska during his time gathered the less privileged boys that the society termed thieves and miscreant and started educating them that out of them came forth juries, physicians and so many priests in the city of Nebraska.

        How about Oseola McCarthy a woman that dropped out of sixth grade to care for her ailing aunt (who had no child of her own). She later became a washerwoman, like her grandmother a trade she continued until arthritis forced her to quit in 1994. The most touching aspect of this black woman’s  life was that after a long period of her  job and when she retired she donated $150,000 to the less privileged students of the university of southern Mississippi from her life savings in the year 1995 despite pressures by her bank to buy a house with the money.

        But the papal answer was perfect “……… but those who live a life that is more or less without need, we don’t know how to cry.” This is really the reason why those that care for the needy are on the decline. The church on its own has not made it anywhere better. There are two sides to Jesus life and attitude about the poor in the holy bible. The first was that he fed the great multitude because they were hungry thanks to the spirit of compassion that underlined his ministry. Secondly was his reply to Judas when he said “…….. You have the poor always with you.’’

        What better world will it be, but unfortunately pastors have decided to take the later reply “you have the poor with you always. Is it a world where the success of most ministers is now measured by how many houses and jets they possess? Truly it is really a question without nucleus like the pope said.

       The poor is always amongst us but how is the government, church and the rich doing to better the society and make it habitable for them. Can there be a resuscitation of the spirit of the McCarthy’s and father Flanagan’s so they can teach this present world engrossed in the “gain the whole world and lose the poor mentality” what true religion means?

        Truly it has been said that the best thing you can do for the poor is not to be amongst them but like the pope has rightly said “those who are living a life that is more or less without need we don’t know how to cry. But there are some realities that you can only see through the eyes that have been cleansed with tears.”