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The only Pope who always speaks out against the inequitable distribution of wealth, the injustice allowed by governments; he seeks succor for the homeless men, women, and children, not prophylactic assistance which DSWD's Dinky has offered to the homeless while the Pope is here: free haircut, food, good clothes -- so the Pope will not see beggars and dirty Solvent Boys knocking on car doors in the streets.
But, as the Pope's spokesman said, the Pontiff knows the real issues -- he is aware of the chicanery of government officials, of the decorative walls hiding from view the dilapidated make-shift shanties of the squatter families, of how local officials are mistreating the victims of Yolanda in Tacloban. Governor Rodriguez must be praying for the typhoon to land so Lolo Kiko will not see the sins of Rodriguez and his barangay officers.
I hope the Pope will succeed in his mission: to help the people he loves and who love and trust him so much, as he saw along the route of his motorcade last night. His tiredness vanished when he heard the outpouring of affection from the Filipinos who lined both sides of the road, all the way from the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City to the Papal Nunciature. He does not like the pomp of bishop's palaces; he has abolished the designation of priests high and low as "Princes of the Church."
I know he will be strong here in the Philippines: he has survived the handshakes of black Binay, atrocious Dinky, incompetent Roxas and De Lima, smuggler-coddler Purisima, arrogant Abaya, and other destructive Aquino cronies. I'm being unkind, I know, but it's ok - it's the Pope that matters.
Mano po, Lolo Kiko. ♥
