99 things Pope Francis said in the

Philippines
On the poor and marginalized
1.

"The great biblical tradition enjoins on all peoples the duty to hear the
voice of the poor. It bids us break the bonds of injustice and oppression which
give rise to glaring, and indeed scandalous, social inequalities.

2. "The Bishops of the Philippines have asked that this year be set aside as the
Year of the Poor.
3. To the clergy and religious, Pope Francis said: I ask you to bring my affection to
all your elderly and infirm brothers and sisters, and to all those who cannot join
us today.
4. The pope also said, the hierarchy of the church and religious organizations "are
called to build bridges, to pasture Christ's flock, and to prepare fresh paths for
the Gospel in Asia at the dawn of a new age.
5. There is a worldly compassion which is useless. You expressed something like
this. Its a compassion that makes us put our hands in our pockets and give
something to the poor. But if Christ had had that kind of compassion he would
have greeted a couple of people, given them something, and walked on. But it
was only when he was able to cry that he understood something of our lives.
6. "Certain realities of life we only see through eyes cleansed by our tears. I invite
each one here to ask yourself: have I learned how to weep? Have I learned how
to weep for the [marginalized] or for a street child who has a drug problem or for
an abused child? Unfortunately there are those who cry because they want
something else.
7. "If you dont learn how to cry, you cannot be a good Christian. This is a
challenge. When they posed this question to us, why children suffer, why this or
that tragedy occurs in life our response must be either silence or a word that
is born of our tears. Be courageous, dont be afraid to cry.

8. This is what helps you mature in your commitment to give to others: Learn how
to open your hand from your very own poverty
9. "There is the challenge for the poor, to love the poor, with your bishops. Do you
think of the poor? Do you feel with the poor? Do you do something for the
poor? Do you ask the poor to give you the wisdom they have?
10. "We need to see each child as a gift to be welcomed, cherished and protected.
And we need to care for our young people, not allowing them to be robbed of
hope and condemned to life on the streets.

On Lifestyles
11. "[Reconciling grace into hearts means] rejecting worldly perspectives and
seeing all things anew in the light of Christ.
12. "The great danger to [the will of God] is a certain materialism which can
creep into our lives and compromise the witness we offer.
13. "Today, with so many means of communication we are overloaded with
information. Is that bad? No. It is good and can help. But there is a real
danger of living in a way that we accumulate information.
14. "We have so much information but maybe we dont know what to do with that
information. So we run the risk of becoming museums of young people who
have everything but not knowing what to do with it. We dont need young
museums but we do need holy young people.
15. "You may ask me: Father, how do we become saints? This is another
challenge. It is the challenge of love. What is the most important subject you
have to lean at university? What is most important subject you have to learn in
life? To learn how to love. This is the challenge that life offers you: to learn bow
to love. Not just to accumulate information without knowing what to do with it..
But through that love let that information bear fruit.
16. "For this the Gospel offers us a serene way forward: using the three languages
of the mind, heart and hands and to use them in harmony. What you think,

you must feel and put into effect. Your information comes down to your heart
and you put it into practice.
17. "Only by becoming poor ourselves, by stripping away our complacency, will we
be able to identify with the least of our brothers and sisters.
18. "All answers on computers - but no surprises. The challenge of love. God
reveals himself through surprises.
19. The pope said that honest, integrity and the Gospel have to effect change "in a
society which has grown comfortable with social exclusion, polarization and
scandalous inequality.
20. Faith does not remove us from the world, but draws us more deeply into it. Each
of us, in fact, has a special role in preparing for the coming of God's kingdom in
our world.
21. "[Sexuality, marriage and the family] realities are increasingly under attack from
powerful forces which threaten to disfigure God's plan for creation and betray
the very values which have inspired and shaped all that is best in your culture.
22. "You must make time each day for prayer. But you may say to me: Holy Father,
I want to pray, but there is so much work to do! I must care for my children; I
have chores in the home; I am too tired even to sleep well. This may be true,
but if we do not pray, we will not know the most important thing of all: God's will
for us. And for all our activity, our busy-ness, without prayer we will accomplish
very little."
23. "While all too many people live in dire poverty, others are caught up in
materialism and lifestyles which are destructive of family life and the most basic
demands of Christian morality."
24. "The devil is the father of lies. Often he hides his snares behind the
appearance of sophistication, the allure of being "modern, 'like everyone else'."
25. "[The devil] distracts us with the promise of ephemeral pleasures, superficial
pastimes. And so we squander our God-given gifts by tinkering with gadgets; we
squander our money on gambling and drink; we turn in on ourselves."
26. "We forget to remain focused on the things that really matter.

On leadership
27. "It is now, more than ever, necessary that political leaders be outstanding for
honesty, integrity and commitment to the common good. In this way they will help
preserve the rich human and natural resources with which God has blessed this
country. "
28. Pope Francis wished that political leaders be able to "marshall the moral
resources needed to face the demands of the present, and to pass on to coming
generations a society of authentic justice, solidarity and peace.
29. "Essential to the attainment of ... national goals is the moral imperative of
ensuring social justice and respect for human dignity.
30.Reforming the social structures which perpetuate poverty and the exclusion of
the poor first requires a conversion of mind and heart.
31. "We know how difficult it is for our democracies today to preserve and defend
such basic human values as respect for the inviolable dignity of each human
person, respect for the rights of conscience and religious freedom, and respect for
the inalienable right to life, beginning with that of the unborn and extending to that
of the elderly and infirm."
32. "Families and local communities must be encouraged and assisted in their
efforts to transmit to our young the values and the vision which can help bring about
a culture of integrity one which honors goodness, truthfulness, fidelity and
solidarity as the firm foundation and the moral glue which holds society together."
33. "May the deepest spiritual values of the Filipino people continue to find
expression in your efforts to provide your fellow citizens with an integral human
development. In this way, each person will be able to fulfill his or her potential, and
thus contribute wisely and well to the future of this country."
34. "The economic situation has caused families to be separated by migration and
the search for employment, and financial problems strain many households.

On Christian life
35. "Like Saint Therese, in the variety of our vocations, each of us is called, in
some way, to be love in the heart of the Church.
36. The Gospel calls individual Christians to live lives of honesty, integrity and
concern for the common good.

37. "[The Gospel] calls Christian communities to create 'circles of integrity',

networks of solidarity which can expand to embrace and transform society by their
prophetic witness.
38. It means being the first to examine our consciences, to acknowledge our
failings and sins, and to embrace the path of constant conversion.
39. "For us priests and consecrated persons, conversion to the newness of the
Gospel entails a daily encounter with the Lord in prayer."
40. "Proclaim the beauty and truth of the Christian message to a society which is
tempted by confusing presentations of sexuality, marriage and the family."
41. "We can love Him but we must let ourselves be loved by Him. Real love is being
open to the love that comes to you. The love that surprises us."
42. "God is a God of surprise because He loved us first."
43. "Rest is so necessary for the health of our minds and bodies, and often so
difficult to achieve due to the many demands placed on us. But rest is also essential
for our spiritual health, so that we can hear God's voice and understand what he
asks of us."
44. "As Christians, you too are called, like Joseph, to make a home for Jesus. You
make a home for him in your hearts, your families, your parishes and your
communities."

45. "When I have a problem or a difficulty, I write on a piece of paper and I put it
under [Saint Joseph's] statue so he can dream about it. This means please pray to
St Joseph for this problem."

46.Like Saint Joseph, once we have heard God's voice, we must rise from our
slumber; we must get up and act.
47. "I have listened to you sing the song: 'We are all Gods children'."

48. "Today Saint Paul has told us that in Christ we have become Gods adopted
children, brothers and sisters in Christ. This is who we are. This is our identity.

On the Church
49. "We are called to be 'ambassadors for Christ' (2 Cor 5:20). Ours is a ministry of
reconciliation ... To be an ambassador for Christ means above all to invite
everyone to a renewed personal encounter with the Lord Jesus.

50. "The Church in the Philippines is called to acknowledge and combat the causes
of the deeply rooted inequality and injustice which mar the face of Filipino
society, plainly contradicting the teaching of Christ.
51. "Be present to young people who may be confused and despondent, yet
continue to see the Church as their friend on the journey and a source of
hope.
52. To young priests, religious and seminarians, he said, "Be present to those who,
living in the midst of a society burdened by poverty and corruption, are
broken in spirit, tempted to give up, to leave school and to live on the streets.
53. "I like St Joseph very much ... . On my desk I have a statue of St Joseph
sleeping. While sleeping he looks after the Church.
54.How many people in the Church work so that that house is a home, a family?55.
"We too need to protect, guide and encourage our young people, helping
them to build a society worthy of their great spiritual and cultural heritage."

On the family
56. "It is in the family that we first learn how to pray. And don't forget when the
family prays together, it remains together. This is important.
57. "In the family we learn how to love, to forgive, to be generous and open, not
closed and selfish. We learn to move beyond our own needs, to encounter
others and share our lives with them. That is why it is so important to pray as
a family!
58. "Like all God's gifts, the family can also be disfigured and destroyed. It needs
our support.
59. "It is important to dream in the family. All mothers and fathers dream of their
sons and daughters in the womb for 9 months. They dream of how they will
be. It isn't possible to have a family without such dreams.
60. "[Sexuality, marriage and the family] realities are increasingly under attack from
powerful forces which threaten to disfigure God's plan for creation and betray
the very values which have inspired and shaped all that is best in your
culture.
61. "God calls upon us to recognize the dangers threatening our own families and
to protect them from harm. We must be attentive to the new ideological
colonization.
62. "Just as our peoples were able to say in the past 'No' to the period of
colonization, as families we have to be very wise and strong to say 'No' to
any attempted ideological colonization that could destroy the family.
63. "The family is also threatened by growing efforts on the part of some to redefine
the very institution of marriage, by relativism, by the culture of the ephemeral,
by a lack of openness to life.
64. "Our world needs good and strong families to overcome these threats!

65. "When you lose this capacity to dream you lose the capacity to love, the
capacity to love is lost.
66. "How many solutions are found to family problems if we take time to reflect, if
we think of a husband or wife, and we dream about the good qualities they
have.
67. To married couples, the pope advised, "Don't ever lose the memory of when you
were boyfriend or girlfriend. That is very important.
68. "Just as the gift of the Holy Family was entrusted to Saint Joseph, so the gift of
the family and its place in God's plan is entrusted to us so we can carry it
forward.
69. "The Philippines needs holy and loving families to protect the beauty and truth
of the family in God's plan and to be a support and example for other
families. Every threat to the family is a threat to society itself. The future of
humanity, as Saint John Paul II often said, passes through the family.
70. "Protect your families! See in them your country's greatest treasure and nourish
them always by prayer and the grace of the sacraments. Families will always
have their trials, but may you never add to them!
71.Be sanctuaries of respect for life, proclaiming the sacredness of every human
life from conception to natural death.
72. "When families bring children into the world, train them in faith and sound
values, and teach them to contribute to society, they become a blessing in
our world.
73. Pope Francis asked families to be "missionary disciples of Jesus," which entails
being ready to go beyond your homes and to care for our brothers and
sisters who are most in need.
74. "I ask you especially to show concern for those who do not have a family of
their own, in particular those who are elderly and children without parents.
75. "You may be poor yourselves in material ways, but you have an abundance of
gifts to offer when you offer Christ and the community of his Church. Do not
hide your faith, do not hide Jesus, but carry him into the world and offer the
witness of your family life!
76. "[The Santo Nio] reminds us of the importance of protecting our families, and
those larger families which are the Church, Gods family, and the world, our
human family.
77. "Sadly, in our day, the family all too often needs to be protected against
insidious attacks and programs contrary to all that we hold true and sacred,
all that is most beautiful and noble in our culture."

On suffering
78. "If today we find ourselves here 14 months afterwards, 14 months precisely
after the Typhoon Yolanda hit, it is because we have the security of knowing we will
not weaken in our faith because Jesus has been here before us.""In Jesus' Passion
he assumed all our pain. Therefore he is capable of understanding us.
79. When I saw from Rome that catastrophe I had to be here. And on those very
days I decided to come here. I am here to be with you a little bit late, but I'm here
80. "I have come to tell you that Jesus is Lord. And he never lets us down.Father,
you might say to me, I was let down because I have lost so many things, my house,
my livelihood. It's true if you say that and I respect those sentiments. But Jesus is
there, nailed to the cross, and from there he does not let us down.
81. "[Jesus] was consecrated as Lord on that throne and there he experienced all
the calamities that we experience. Jesus is Lord. And the Lord from the cross is
there for you. In everything the same as us. That is why we have a Lord who cries
with us and walks with us in the most difficult moments of life.
82. "Let us know that we have a Mother, Mary, and a great Brother, Jesus. We are
not alone. We also have many brothers who in this moment of catastrophe came to
help. And we too, because of this, we feel more like brothers and sisters because
we helped each other.
83. "We are like a little child in the moments when we have so much pain and no
longer understand anythiing. All we can do is grab hold of her hand firmly and say,
'Mommy'," the pontiff said, referring to the Virgin.

On the Philippines and Filipinos

84. Pope Francis visit coincides with the 500th anniversary of the first time the
Gospel was proclaimed in the Philippines.
85. "It is my hope that this important anniversary will point to its continuing
fruitfulness and its potential to inspire a society worthy of the goodness, dignity and
aspirations of the Filipino people."
86. "I have admired the heroic strength, faith and resilience demonstrated by so
many Filipinos in the face of this natural disaster, and so many others.

87. "Those [Filipino] virtues, rooted not least in the hope and solidarity instilled by
Christian faith, gave rise to an outpouring of goodness and generosity, especially on
the part of so many of the young."
88. "The Philippines, together with many other countries in Asia, faces the
challenge of building on solid foundations a modern society a society respectful of
authentic human values, protective of our God-given human dignity and rights, and
ready to confront new and complex political and ethical questions."
89. "I cannot fail to mention the Philippines' important role in fostering
understanding and cooperation among the countries of Asia."
90. "I would also mention the oft-neglected yet real contribution of Filipinos of the
diaspora to the life and welfare of the societies in which they live. "
91. "I express my trust that the progress made in bringing peace to the south of the
country will result in just solutions in accord with the nation's founding principles
and respectful of the inalienable rights of all, including the indigenous peoples and
religious minorities.
92.Filipinos everywhere are known for their love of God, their fervent piety and their
warm devotion to Our Lady and her rosary.
93. He said Filipinos have passed on a "great heritage," which "contains a powerful
missionary potential. It is the way in which your people has inculturated the Gospel
and continues to embrace its message."
94. "Now, at the end of my visit to the Philippines, I commend you to him, to Jesus
who came among us as a child. May he enable all the beloved people of this
country to work together, protecting one another, beginning with your families and
communities, in building a world of justice, integrity and peace."
95. "May the Santo Nio continue to bless the Philippines and may he sustain the
Christians of this great nation in their vocation to be witnesses and missionaries of
the joy of the Gospel, in Asia and in the whole world."

On women
96. During his encounter with the youth in the University of Santo Tomas, Pope
Francis commented, "There's only a very small representation of girls among you.
Too little.
Women have much to tell us in today's society. Sometimes we are too 'machistas'
and we don't allow enough space to women. But women can see things from a
different angle to us, with a different eye.
98. "Women are able to pose questions we men are unable to understand. Look out
for this fact: she is the only one who has put a question for which there is no
answer. She couldn't put it into words but expressed it with tears.
99. "When the next pope comes to Manila, please let there be more girls," he said,
commenting on the audience in UST
Source: philstar.com

Inspiring Mesages for Families from Pope Francis

1. Families are important.
During Pope Franciss address to government authori5es and diploma5c corps in Manila's
Malacaang Palace on January 16, he said:
Families have an indispensable mission in society. It is in the family that children are
trained in sound values, high ideals and genuine concern for others. But like all Gods giEs,
the family can also be disgured and destroyed. It needs our support.
So if ever youre feeling discouraged because youre having a rough Ime as a family, take
heart. Keep moving forward. What you are doing to build your family is important.
2. Dream as a family.
The Holy Father, during his Mee5ng with Families at the Mall of Asia Arena on January 16,
encouraged all families to dream together:
It isn't possible to have a family without such dreams. When you lose this capacity to
dream, you lose the capacity and energy to love.
3. Remember your spouses.
In the same MeeIng with Families, Pope Francis reminded the couples present to also
cherish their spouses, and recall their Ime together as boyfriend and girlfriend:

How many soluIons are found to family problems if we take Ime to reect, if we think of
a husband or wife, and we dream about the good qualiIes they have. Dont ever lose the
memory of when you were boyfriend or girlfriend. That is very important.
4. Raise your children well.
The next Ime you feel like your eorts to parent your kids properly are just a waste of
Ime or useless, remember these words of Pope Francis at the Mee5ng with Families:
When families bring children into the world, train them in faith and sound values, and
teach them to contribute to society, they become a blessing in our world.
5. Respect life.
At the MeeIng with Families, the pope also reminded us of the importance of respecIng
life in all forms: Be sanctuaries of respect for life, proclaiming the sacredness of every
human life from concepIon to natural death.
Every person yes, even the challenging or dicult ones we may encounter in our
families and elsewhere deserves our respect. Lets teach our kids the same, too.
6. Pray as a family.
Pope Francis menIoned the importance of prayer many Imes during his visit. He especially
emphasized it at the MeeIng with Families:
ResIng in prayer is especially important for families. It is in the family that we rst learn
how to pray. And dont forget when the family prays together, it remains together. This is
important.
Deepening your familys spirituality, whether its by prayer or other means, is one way for
you to strengthen your familys bonds.
7. Protect your family.
In his homily at Luneta Park, Pope Francis reminded us again of the importance of
protecIng our families, and those larger families which are the Church, Gods family, and
the world, our human family. (He also spoke of the need to protect our families at the
MeeIng with Families.)
Sadly, in our day, the family all too oEen needs to be protected against insidious a`acks
and programs contrary to all that we hold true and sacred, all that is most beauIful and
noble in our culture.
No ma`er what your beliefs are, protecIng your family against whatever can destroy it
should be top priority.

8. In 5mes of diculty and sorrow, remember that you are not alone.
In his moving homily for the survivors of Typhoon Yolanda in Tacloban, the pope reminds
our families to take courage during Imes of trial and grief:
We are not alone. We also have many brothers who in this moment of catastrophe came
to help. And we too, because of this, we feel more like brothers and sisters because we
helped each other.
9. Learn how to weep.
The Pope, as quoted on CBCP News, said in his message to the youth gathered at the
University of Sto. Tomas that the expression of weeping is a concrete gesture of empathy
with the pain of others and a sign of deeper involvement in issues that may somehow
seem abstract and distant like homelessness, drug abuse and sexual abuse.
He said this in response to 12-year-old Glyzelle Palomars heareelt sharing about her life on
the streets. Overcome with emoIon and ending up in tears, Glyzelle was unable to nish
her tesImony.
As families, do we teach our children to weep and empathize with others?
10. Help other families.
Beyond empathizing with others, we are encouraged to help them in concrete ways:
go beyond your homes and to care for our brothers and sisters who are most in need. I
ask you especially to show concern for those who do not have a family of their own, in
parIcular those who are elderly and children without parents. (Pope Francis, at the
MeeIng with Families)
11. Focus on what maYers most.
In his closing Mass at Luneta, Pope Francis menIoned the distracIons that could lead us to
forget to focus on the things that really ma`er:
we squander our God-given giEs by Inkering with gadgets; we squander our money on
gambling and drink; we turn in on ourselves.
Lets not let these days with our families especially our young children pass us by.
Lets focus on what is really essenIal.
Source: Smart Paren5ng

6 Lessons from Pope Francis which Filipinos Should Keep in Mind

1. Corrup5on is something everyone must ght against
I hope that this propheIc summons will challenge everyone, at all levels of society, to
reject every form of corrupIon which diverts resources from the poor, and to make
concerted eorts to ensure the inclusion of every man and woman and child in the life of
the community. Pope Francis, Malacaang Speech, Jan. 16 2015
2. Protec5ng the environment requires more than just pu_ng your garbage in the trash
can
A second key area where you are called to make a contribuIon is in showing concern for
the environment. This is not only because this country, more than many others, is likely to
be seriously aected by climate change Respect for the environment means more than
simply using cleaner products or recycling what we use. These are important aspects, but
not enough. Pope Francis, Undelivered Speech to the Youth Encounter, Jan. 18 2015
3. Use your talents to serve the people and defend the poor
A second key area where you are called to make a contribuIon is in showing concern for
the environment. This is not only because this country, more than many others, is likely to
be seriously aected by climate change Respect for the environment means more than
simply using cleaner products or recycling what we use. These are important aspects, but
not enough. Pope Francis, Undelivered Speech to the Youth Encounter, Jan. 18 2015
3. Use your talents to serve the people and defend the poor
Bilang KrisIyanao, miyembro ng pamilya ng Diyos, Inatawag tayo upang hanapin at
paglingkuran ag lahat ng mga nangangailangan Pope Francis, on Twi`er, January 18 2015
This is the challenge that life oers you: to learn how to love. Not just to accumulate
informaIon without knowing what to do with it What you think, you must feel and put
into eect. Your informaIon comes down to your heart and you put it into pracIce.
Pope Francis, Speech to the Youth Encounter, January 18 2015
4. Theres no other way but to change society
Through sin, man has also destroyed the unity and beauty of our human family, creaIng
social structures which perpetuate poverty, ignorance and corrupIon. Pope
Francis, Homily for the Luneta Mass, January 18 2015
The Church in the Philippines is called to acknowledge and combat the causes of the
deeply rooted inequality and injusIce which mar the face of Filipino society, plainly
contradicIng the teaching of Christ Pope Francis, Homily for the Manila Cathedral Mass,
January 16 2015
It bids us break the bonds of injusIce and oppression which give rise to glaring, and
indeed scandalous, social inequaliIes. Malacanang Speech
5. Collec5ve ac5on is the key
The Gospel calls individual ChrisIans to live lives of honesty, integrity and concern for the
common good. But it also calls ChrisIan communiIes to create circles of integrity,
networks of solidarity which can expand to embrace and transform society by their
propheIc witness. Homily for the Manila Cathedral Mass
6. We cant act towards change without seeing things from the eyes of the poor

How many young people among you are like this? You know how to give and yet you have
ever learned how to receive. You sIll lack one thing. Become a beggar. This is what you sIll
lack To learn how to receive with humility. To learn to be evangelized by the poor, by
those we help, the sick, orphans, they have so much to give us This is what helps you
mature in your commitment to give to others. Learn how to open your hand from your very
own poverty. Speech to the Youth Encounter
Only by becoming poor ourselves, by stripping away our complacency, will we be able to
idenIfy with the least of our brothers and sisters. We will see things in a new light and thus
respond with honesty and integrity to the challenge of proclaiming the radicalism of the
Gospel in a society which has grown comfortable with social exclusion, polarizaIon and
scandalous inequality. Homily for the Manila Cathedral Mass
The great biblical tradiIon enjoins on all peoples the duty to hear the voice of the poor.
Malacanang Speech
Source: The Jungle

5 Lessons Your Kids Can Learn From Pope Francis

1. Your values and beliefs play an important role in your life.

According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the Mass concluding Pope Franciss four-day
visit to the country may draw up to 6 million people. Thousands of people are also
expected to a`end the other events marking his visit.
Most of these a`endees to the various Papal Visit acIviIes will probably be facing
discomforts like standing and waiIng for hours, heat, hunger, and dealing with huge
crowds.
SIll, they will choose to bear it all because they believe, as Fr. Alvin Nicolasora of Tacloban
City does, that seeing Pope Francis is worth the sacrice.
Lesson for your kids: It is important to know why you believe what you believe, and act
accordingly. Your values and beliefs oEen become your guideposts in life.

2. You can make a dierence in the world, no maYer how old or young
you are.
Pope Francis is what all of us would consider a senior ciIzen. At the age of 78, he may
even be old enough to be our childrens great grandfather!

Despite his elderly status though, the Pope sIll travels extensively, bringing the message of
hope to millions of people.
Lesson for your kids: Even if you are what other people consider too young or too old,
you can sIll help others. You dont have to go far to do so start at home and in your
community.

3. You should care for others and treat them equally, even if they are
"dierent."
Pope Francis is widely known for his message of inclusion, especially for serving the
needs of the poor and the unwanted of society.

In November 2013, an image of the PonI embracing a disgured man went viral on social
media, highlighIng his desire to reach out to those who have been marginalized by others.
It is no wonder then that PresidenIal Spokesman Edwin Lacierda, quoted on BomboRadyo
Philippines, said that even non-Catholics are excited to see Pope Francis.
Lesson for your kids: Every human being has a right to life, and to basic needs like food,
shelter and clothing. Treat others with respect and dignity, even if they look, act, or believe
dierently from you.4. No ma`er how powerful or inuenIal you are, you must remain
humble and simple.
In an arIcle Itled 10 Things You Need to Know About Pope Francis, published on the
ocial 2015 Papal Visit to the Philippines website, Pope Francis is said to see himself as a
sinner who wants to keep it simple. This reects his great humility.
VaIcan ocials also emphasized the fact that the Pope is just a human being with an
ocial Itle, suggesIng that the Filipinos who wish to welcome him bring banners or
materials that bear images of Jesus, Mary and the saints, and not the Pope.
Lesson for your kids: Humility and simplicity are great traits to have, even if you are
already in a high posiIon, like Pope Francis.

5. It's important to show "mercy and compassion" to everyone around

you, especially those in need.

The ocial theme of this years Papal Visit is Mercy and Compassion. His Holinesss main
purpose is to comfort Filipinos devastated by the typhoon and the earthquake that hit the
Visayas. Like the Pope, we, too, must show mercy and compassion to others, especially
those who need it the most.
Lesson for your kids: Be kind, for everyone you meet is ghIng a hard ba`le.
Source: Smart Paren5ng

Pope Francis Quotes & Lessons in Philippines Visit

On Family:
"Just as the gift of the Holy Family was entrusted to Saint Joseph, so the gift of
family and its place in God's Plan is entrusted to us so we can carry it forward. To
each one of you and us because I too am the son of a family.
When families bring children into the world, train them in faith and sound values,
and teach them to contribute to society, they may become a blessing in our world."
- Pope Francis
"Begin with your families and communities, in building a world of justice,
integrity and peace." - Pope Francis
"Families have an indispensable mission in society. It is in the family that children
are trained in sound values, high ideals and genuine concern for others.
But like all Gods gifts, the family can also be disfigured and destroyed. It needs
our support. We know how difficult it is for our democracies today to preserve and
defend such basic human values as respect for the inviolable dignity of each
human person, respect for the rights of conscience and religious freedom, and
respect for the inalienable right to life, beginning with that of the unborn and
extending to that of the elderly and infirm.
For this reason, families and local communities must be encouraged and assisted
in their efforts to transmit to our young the values and the vision which can help
bring about a culture of integrity one which honors goodness, truthfulness,
fidelity and solidarity as the firm foundation and the moral glue which holds
society together." - Pope Francis
"To dream how will your daughter or son be, it is not possible to have a family
without such dreams. When you lose this capacity to dream, then you lose the
capacity to love, and this energy to love is lost. I recommend that at night, when
you examine your consciences, ask yourselves, Today, did I dream about my sons
and daughters? Did I dream of the love of my husband, or my wife? Did I dream of
my parents, my family? It is so important to dream, and to dream in the family,
please dont lose this ability to dream in this way. And how many solutions are
found to family problems if we take time to reflect? If we think of a husband or
wife and we dream about their good qualities that they have? "- Pope Francis
"Families will always have their trials, but may you never add to them! Instead,
be living examples of love, forgiveness and care." - Pope Francis

To the Filipino Church:

"The Church in the Philippines is called to acknowledge and combat the causes of
the deeply rooted inequality and injustice which mar the face of Filipino Society,
plainly contradicting the teaching of Christ." - Pope Francis

"The Gospel calls individual Christians to live lives of honesty, integrity and
concern for the common good.. to create circles of integrity.., networks of
solidarity which can expand to embrace and transform society by their prophetic
witness." - Pope Francis
"As ambassadors for Christ, we, bishops, priests, and religious, ought to be the
first to welcome his reconciling grace into our hearts.. it means being the first to
examine our consciences, and to embrace the path of constant conversion.
Constant conversion, everyday conversion." - Pope Francis
"The message of the Santo Nio is so important. The child Jesus speaks powerfully
to everyone." - Pope Francis

On Marriage:
"Dont ever lose the illusion of when you were boyfriend and girlfriend!" - Pope
Francis

On Love:
"Real love is all about loving and letting yourself be loved."- Pope Francis
"Its harder to let yourself be loved than to love." - Pope Francis
"You must be open to the love of God." - Pope Francis
"To learn how to love is the most important lesson in life." - Pope Francis
"When you lose the capacity to dream, you lose the capacity to love, and the
energy of this love is lost."- Pope Francis
"This is the challenge that life offers you: to learn how to love. Not just to
accumulate information without knowing what to do with it... But through that
love let that information bear fruit." - Pope Francis

On women:
"Women have much to tell us in today's society. Sometimes we're too macho, and
we don't leave enough room for women. Women are able to see things with
different eyes than us. Women are able to ask questions that men can't
understand. ... When the next pope comes, please have more women and girls
among your numbers." - Pope Francis

Quotes about Life:

"For this the Gospel offers us a serene way forward: using the three languages of
the mind, heart and hands and to use them in harmony. What you think, you
must feel and put into effect. Your information comes down to your heart and you
put it into practice. Harmoniously. What you think, you feel and you do. Feel what
you think and feel what you do. Do what you think and what you feel. The three
languages.." - Pope Francis

"To be wise use three languages: think well, feel well and do well. And to be wise
allow yourselves to be surprised by the love of God. That will guarantee a good
life." - Pope Francis
"God chose and blessed you for a purpose: to be holy and blameless in his sight." Pope Francis
"Can you repeat this? Think well, feel well and do well, and to be wise." - Pope
Francis
"Allow yourselves to be surprised by the love of God. Thats a good life." - Pope
Francis
"Your deepest identity is as God's Children." - Pope Francis
"Only when we too can cry about the things you said can we come close to
answering that question... When the heart is able to ask itself and weep, then we
can understand something."-Pope Francis
"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."-Pope Francis
"Certain realities we only see through eyes that are cleansed with tears."-Pope
Francis

On serving and helping the poor:

"Only by becoming poor ourselves, by stripping away our complacency will we be
able to identify with least of our brothers and sisters." - Pope Francis
"So many of you have lost everything. I don't know what to say to you but the lord
does know what to say to you." - Pope Francis
"Today, from this place which has known such profound suffering and human
need, I ask that even more be done for the poor. Above all, I ask that the poor
throughout this country be treated fairly - that their dignity be respected, that
political and economic policies be just and inclusive, that opportunities for
employment and education be developed, and that obstacles to the delivery of
social services be removed.
Our treatment of the poor is the criterion on which each of us will be judged. I ask
all of you, and all responsible for the good of society, to renew your commitment
to social justice and the betterment of the poor, both here and in the Philippines as
a whole." - Pope Francis

On corruption:
"As many voices in your nation have pointed out, it is now, more than ever,
necessary that political leaders be outstanding for honesty, integrity and
commitment to the common good. In this way they will help preserve the rich
human and natural resources with which God has blessed this country.
Thus will they be able to marshal the moral resources needed to face the demands
of the present, and to pass on to coming generations a society of authentic justice,
solidarity and peace." - Pope Francis
"Essential to the attainment of these national goals is the moral imperative of
ensuring social justice and respect for human dignity. The great biblical tradition
enjoins on all peoples the duty to hear the voice of the poor.
It bids us break the bonds of injustice and oppression which give rise to glaring,
and indeed scandalous social inequalities. Reforming the social structures which
perpetuate poverty and the exclusion of the poor first requires a conversion of
mind and heart." - Pope Francis
"At all levels of society, to reject every form of corruption which diverts resources
from the poor, and to make concerted efforts to ensure the inclusion of every man
and woman and child in the life of the community." - Pope Francis

On receiving:
"You know how to give and yet you have ever learned how to receive. You still lack
one thing. Become a beggar. This is what you still lack. Learn how to beg. This
isnt easy to understand. To learn how to beg. To learn how to receive with
humility.
To learn to be evangelized by the poor, by those we help, the sick, orphans, they
have so much to give us. Have I learned how to beg? Or am I self-sufficient? Do I
think I need nothing? Do you know you too are poor? Do you know your own
poverty and your need to receive? Do you let yourselves be evangelized by those
you serve? This is what helps you mature in your commitment to give to others.
Learn how to open your hand from your very own poverty." - Pope Francis

On Children:
"Children have a right to grow up in a family with a father and a mother capable
of creating a suitable environment for the child's development and emotional
maturity." - Pope Francis
"We need to see each child as a gift to be welcomed, cherished and protected." Pope Francis
"And we need to care for our young people,not allowing them to be robbed of hope
and condemned to a life on the streets." - Pope Francis

"Protect the young from sin and vice, so they become outstanding missionaries of
the faith in Asia." - Pope Francis
"Why do children suffer so much? Why do children suffer? When the heart is able
to ask itself and weep, then we can understand something. There is a worldly
compassion which is useless. You expressed something like this. Its a compassion
that makes us put our hands in our pockets and give something to the poor. But if
Christ had had that kind of compassion he would have greeted a couple of people,
given them something, and walked on. But it was only when he was able to cry
that he understood something of our lives. Dear young boys and girls, todays
world doesnt know how to cry. The emarginated people, those left to one side, are
crying. Those who are discarded are crying. But we dont understand much about
these people in need. Certain realities of life we only see through eyes cleansed by
our tears. I invite each one here to ask yourself: have I learned how to weep? Have
I learned how to weep for the emarginated or for a street child who has a drug
problem or for an abused child? Unfortunately there are those who cry because
they want something else.

On (Pinoy)Youth:
"A fundamental role in the renewal of society is played, of course, by the family
and especially by young people." - Pope Francis
"I want to encourage you, as Christian citizens of this country, to offer yourselves
passionately and honestly to the great work of renewing your society and helping
to build a better world." - Pope Francis
"There is a real danger of living in a wave of accumulation of information. We
have so much information. But maybe we dont know what to do with that
information. We run the risk of becoming a museum of young people that has
everything but without knowing what to do with them.
We dont need youth museums. But we do need holy young people." - Pope Francis

"A challenge for you is to maintain integrity, protect the environment and care for
the poor." - Pope Francis
"The Philippines... is the foremost Catholic country in Asia; this is itself a special
gift of God, a special blessing. But it is also a vocation. Filipinos are called to be
outstanding missionaries of the faith in Asia." - Pope Francis

On the environment:
"I dont know if climate change is all mans fault, but the majority is. For the most
part, it is man who continuously slaps down nature. We have, in a sense, lorded it
over nature, over Sister Earth, over Mother Earth. I think man has gone too far."Pope Francis
"He created the world as a beautiful garden and asked us to care for it. But
through sin, man has disfigured that natural beauty; through sin, man has also

destroyed the unity and beauty of our human family, creating social structures
which perpetuate poverty, ignorance and corruption." - Pope Francis
Source: Vernon go.com