Pope Francis in the Philippines (7 page)

of
you
who
housed
and
fed
people
seeking
safety
,
in
churches
,
convents
,
rectories
,
and
who
continue
to
assist
those
still
struggling
,
I
thank
you
.
You
are
a
credit
to
the
Church
.
You
are
the
pride
of
your
nation
.
I
personally
thank
each
one
of
you
.
For
whatever
you
did
for
the
least
of
Christ
’
s
brothers
and
sisters
,
you
did
for
him
(
cf
.
Mt
25:41).
At
this
Mass
we
wish
also
to
thank
God
for
the
good
men
and
women
who
served
as
rescue
and
relief
workers
.
We
thank
him
for
the
many
people
around
the
world
who
generously
gave
of
their
time
,
money
and
goods
.
Countries
,
organizations
and
individuals
across
the
globe
put
the
needy
first
;
it
is
an
example
that
should
be
followed
.
I
ask
government
leaders
,
international
agencies
,
benefactors
and
people
of
goodwill
not
to
give
up
.
There
is
much
that
remains
to
be
done
.
Though
the
headlines
have
changed
,
the
needs
continue
.
Today
’
s
first
reading
,
from
the
Letter
to
the
Hebrews
,
urges
us
to
hold
fast
in
our
confession
,
to
persevere
in
our
faith
,
to
draw
near
with
confidence
to
the
throne
of
God
’
s
grace
(
cf
.
Heb
4:16).
These
words
have
a
special
resonance
in
this
place
.
Amid
great
suffering
you
never
ceased
to
confess
the
victory
of
the
cross
,
the
triumph
of
God
’
s
love
.
You
have
seen
the
power
of
that
love
revealed
in
the
generosity
of
so
many
people
and
in
so
many
small
miracles
of
goodness
.
But
you
have
also
seen
,
in
the
profiteering
,
the
looting
and
the
failed
responses
to
this
great
human
drama
,
so
many
tragic
signs
of
the
evil
from
which
Christ
came
to
save
us
.
Let
us
pray
that
this
,
too
,
will
lead
us
to
greater
trust
in
the
power
of
God
’
s
grace
to
overcome
sin
and
selfishness
.
Let
us
pray
in
particular
that
it
will
make
everyone
more
sensitive
to
the
cry
of
our
brothers
and
sisters
in
need
.
Let
us
pray
that
it
will
lead
to
a
rejection
of
all
forms
of
injustice
and
corruption
which
,
by
stealing
from
the
poor
,
poison
the
very
roots
of
society
.
Dear
brothers
and
sisters
,
throughout
this
ordeal
you
have
felt
the
grace
of
God
in
a
special
way
through
the
presence
and
loving
care
of
the
Blessed
Virgin
Mary
,
Our
Lady
of
Perpetual
Help
.
She
is
our
Mother
.
May
she
help
you
to
persevere
in
faith
and
hope
,
and
to
reach
out
to
all
in
need
.
And
with
Saints
Lorenzo
Ruiz
and
Pedro
Calungsod
and
all
the
saints
,
may
she
continue
to
implore
God
’
s
mercy
and
loving
compassion
for
this
country
,
and
for
all
the
beloved
Filipino
people
.
Amen
.

Dear
Brothers
and
Sisters
,

I
greet
all
of
you
with
great
affection
in
the
Lord
.
I
am
happy
that
we
are
able
to
meet
in
this
Cathedral
of
the
Transfiguration
of
the
Lord
.
This
house
of
prayer
,
along
with
many
others
,
has
been
repaired
thanks
to
the
remarkable
generosity
of
many
people
.
It
stands
as
an
eloquent
sign
of
the
immense
effort
of
rebuilding
which
you
and
your
neighbors
have
undertaken
in
the
wake
of
the
devastation
caused
by
Typhoon
Yolanda
.
It
is
also
a
concrete
reminder
to
all
of
us
that
,
even
amid
disaster
and
suffering
,
our
God
is
constantly
at
work
,
making
all
things
new
.

Many
of
you
have
suffered
greatly
,
not
only
from
the
destruction
caused
by
the
storm
,
but
from
the
loss
of
family
members
and
friends
.
Today
let
us
commend
to
God
’
s
mercy
all
those
who
have
died
,
and
invoke
his
consolation
and
peace
upon
all
who
still
grieve
.
May
we
remember
in
a
particular
way
those
among
us
whose
pain
makes
it
hard
to
see
the
way
forward
.
At
the
same
time
,
let
us
thank
the
Lord
for
all
those
who
have
labored
in
these
months
to
clear
away
the
rubble
,
to
visit
the
sick
and
dying
,
to
comfort
the
grieving
and
to
bury
the
dead
.
Their
goodness
,
and
the
generous
aid
which
came
from
so
many
people
throughout
the
world
,
are
a
real
sign
that
God
never
abandons
us
!

Here
,
in
a
special
way
,
I
would
like
to
thank
the
many
priests
and
religious
who
responded
with
such
overwhelming
generosity
to
the
desperate
needs
of
the
people
of
the
areas
hardest
hit
.
By
your
presence
and
your
charity
,
you
bore
witness
to
the
beauty
and
truth
of
the
Gospel
.
You
made
the
Church
present
as
a
source
of
hope
,
healing
and
mercy
.
Together
with
so
many
of
your
neighbors
,
you
also
demonstrated
the
deep
faith
and
the
resilience
of
the
Filipino
people
.
The
many
stories
of
goodness
and
self
-
sacrifice
which
emerged
from
these
dark
days
need
to
be
remembered
and
passed
down
for
future
generations
.

A
few
moments
ago
,
I
blessed
the
new
Center
for
the
Poor
,
which
stands
as
another
sign
of
the
Church
’
s
care
and
concern
for
our
brothers
and
sisters
in
need
.
How
many
they
are
!
And
how
much
our
Lord
loves
them
!
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
(
cf
.
Mt
25:40, 45).
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
.

Finally
,
I
would
like
to
say
a
word
of
sincere
thanks
to
the
young
people
present
,
including
the
seminarians
and
young
religious
.
Many
of
you
showed
heroic
generosity
in
the
aftermath
of
the
typhoon
.
I
hope
that
you
will
always
realize
that
true
happiness
comes
from
helping
others
,
giving
ourselves
to
them
in
self
-
sacrifice
,
mercy
and
compassion
.
In
this
way
you
will
be
a
powerful
force
for
the
renewal
of
society
,
not
only
in
the
work
of
restoring
buildings
but
more
importantly
,
in
building
up
God
’
s
kingdom
of
holiness
,
justice
and
peace
in
your
native
land
.