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Tag: Pope Francis

When Duterte took on Pope Francis

Published by Ellen on December 1, 2015

Living up to his macho image of a crime buster that discriminates no one, in Tagalog, “walang sinasanto,” Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte took on the well-loved Pope Francis whose arrival in the Philippines last January caused him to be stuck in traffic he had to pee in his car.

Last Monday at his declaration as PDP-Laban presidential candidate in lieu of former barangay captain Martin Diño, who filed his certificate of candidacy for president last Oct. 16 but withdrew later as the the poll body included him in the list of nuisance candidates (the Comelec has yet to decide on Duterte’s substitution of Diño), Duterte was in his element spewing “P..I” in abandon, according to news reports.

He cursed traffic in Metro Manila. He related his ordeal last January: “From the hotel to the airport, alam mo inabot kami ng… limang oras. Sabi ko bakit? Sabi pinasarado daw.” A friend told him that the road closure and the traffic jams were due to the arrival of Pope Francis.

He told the adoring crowd: ” Gusto kong tawagan, ‘Pope, p.. I.. ka, umuwi ka na. ‘Wag ka nang bumisita dito.”

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Dinky’s family camping: Senseless and hypocritical

Published by Ellen on January 25, 2015

Back to the streets Tibigar family after six days in a Batangas resort. Photo from ABS-CBN.
Back to the streets Tibigar family after six days in a Batangas resort. Photo from ABS-CBN.
President Aquino has not yet spoken on reports, confirmed by Social Services Secretary Dinky Soliman, about the government banishing 490 homeless persons to a Batangas resort during the five-day visit of Pope Francis.

But his deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said, “Wala naman hong ganoon. Parang insulto din sa bisita kapag sinabi mong ‘pag tinago niyo, hindi na niya malalaman’.Hindi naman natin din tinatago ang estado… Makikita naman ‘yan sa official statistics.”

Insulto talaga.

A journalist friend thinks it was not for Pope Francis that the government removed the destitute from Metro Manila’s streets. It was the foreign press that were coming to cover the Papal visit that they were more concerned about.

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Heed Pope Francis’ appeal to end culture of waste

Published by Ellen on January 15, 2015

Filipinos first glimpse of Pope Francis Pope Francis greets and hugs two kids who gave him flowers Pope Francis rides the popemobile From Cookie Feria
Arrival photos.

This visit of Pope Francis is heartwarming as it is awesome.

To those who will brave the heat (hopefully it doesn’t rain), the long walk, the long wait, hunger and thirst, bless your courage and your determination.

I hope and pray that our love for Pope Francis will include taking care of our environment. I hope that as we try to cleanse our soul, we will make sure that we don’t dirty our surroundings.

The EcoWaste Coalition said last year, during the celebration of the World Environment Day on June 5, Pope Francis urged everyone “to make a serious commitment to respect and protect creation, to be attentive to every person, to counter the culture of waste and disposable, to promote a culture of solidarity and of encounter.”
“The Pope’s visit is an opportune time to roll out a campaign that will show our people’s unity and determination to switch to a ‘Zero Waste Pilipinas’ where waste prevention and reduction is the norm of life,” said Aileen Lucero, coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.

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The making of the missalette for Pope Francis’ mass at Rizal Park

Published by Ellen on January 11, 2015

Pope Francis. He has reinvigorated the Catholic Church.
Pope Francis. He has reinvigorated the Catholic Church.
Pope Francis will be saying his masses (he will have three during his Philippine five-day visit) in English but in Rizal Park, he will start his homily with “Sumasampalataya ako.”

The missalette that will be used in the Rizal Park mass will be eight pages and will contain, for the first time, the Eucharistic Prayer. The text will be in red and blue.

The song, “Tell the World of His Love,” which was sang during the 10th World Youth Day visit of Pope John Paul II in January 1995 will again be sung during the Rizal Park mass.

These pieces of information were shared by Fr. Domie G. Guzman during the mass at Southmall in Las Piñas yesterday.

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The politics of estimating crowds

Published by Ellen on August 5, 2013

Pope Francis July 28 mass in Copacabana beach. Photo by Mario Tama, Getty Images. From National Post online..
Pope Francis July 28 mass in Copacabana beach. Photo by Mario Tama, Getty Images. From National Post online..

There is more to the size of the crowd than just numbers.

Associated Press ran a story of Pope Francis July 28 Copacabana mass that concluded his highly successful visit in Brazil. A native of Argentina, the Brazil visit that capped the 2014 World Youth day, was his first in Latin America.

Press reports, quoting official figures by Vatican, said the Copacabana mass was attended by three million.

The reports said, in the history of Papal visits, only the five million Philippine crowds at the Rizal park mass of Pope John Paul II in 1995 topped the number of assembled Catholics at the Copacabana beach.

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