CBCP: Pope Francis invited us to be a listening Church

As the world bids farewell to one of the most consequential pontiffs in modern history, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) recalled Pope Francis' transformative era for global Catholicism, shaped by inclusion and healing.

In his message, CBCP President and Kalookan Bishop Cardinal Pablo David reminded faithful that "it is okay to shed tears of sorrow during this joyful Easter Octave."

"After all, it was he who reminded us that 'we can only see more clearly through eyes washed by tears," David said.

David remembered the Holy Father as "a shepherd who walked with his people" and who often chose "the dusty road" rather than the comfort of the center.

"Through Evangelii Gaudium and Fratelli Tutti, he reminded us that the heart of the Gospel beats most strongly where pain, poverty, and exclusion dwell," the cardinal continued.

"He invited us to be a listening Church—one that opens its ears to the cries of the people and its heart to the stirrings of the Spirit," he added.

Through Pope Francis' vision of synodality, he challenged the faithful and Catholic leaders to "rediscover the Church not as fortress, but as field hospital—welcoming, healing, and journeying together."

"With Laudato Si' and Laudate Deum, he taught us to see the earth as our common home, entrusted to our care, especially for the sake of the generations to come," Advincula said.

He added that Pope Francis once called overseas Filipino workers "contrabandistas de la fe" or smugglers of the faith to remind that "the witness of simple, faithful lives can cross borders and touch hearts where formal missionaries cannot go."

Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, 21 April, at the age of 88 at his residence in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta.

The Pope was admitted to the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital on 14 February, after suffering from a bout of bronchitis for several days.

His clinical situation gradually worsened, and his doctors diagnosed bilateral pneumonia on 18 February.

After 38 days in the hospital, the late Pope returned to his Vatican residence at the Casa Santa Marta to continue his recovery.

In 1957, in his early 20s, Jorge Mario Bergoglio underwent surgery in his native Argentina to remove a portion of his lung that had been affected by a severe respiratory infection.

As he aged, Pope Francis frequently suffered bouts of respiratory illnesses, even cancelling a planned visit to the United Arab Emirates in November 2023 due to influenza and lung inflammation.