The 2015 Papal Visit Experience

First of all, Happy New Year everybody (though it's pretty late)!!!

To kick start this year, I would like to share my volunteering experience for the 2015 Papal Visit by Pope Francis!

Let's begin...

1995 World Youth Day Experience

Going way back to 1995, our family tried to get a glimpse of the pope (it was Pope John Paul II at that time) at the Quirino Grandstand. I can still recall that we woke up very early and rushed to the venue at the quickest possible route. However in the end, we weren't able to see the pope due to the multitude of people. To cut the story short, we went back home and watched the whole mass at the comfort of our home--while eating Macaroni Salad.

An Opportunity Presents Itself

Back to the present day, it was announced by the CBCP last June 2014 that Pope Francis will be visiting our country the Philippines (15-19 January 2015). To be honest, I wasn't thrilled to hear the news and the likelihood of seeing the pope will be at the front of the TV screen...again. Six months had passed and surprisingly--or by sheer luck, a chance to see Pope Francis presented itself!

During the long Christmas vacation, my very good friend Lian invited me to be a part of their parish' 180 human chain volunteers. At first, I don't know how and what to answer. I was surprised to hear the idea of being a volunteer and possibly seeing the pope up close. In the end, I replied with a joke--neither saying yes or no.

Pope Francis (Photo by Jeon Heon-Kyun/EPA)

Curiosity on Pope Francis eventually led me to watch some documentaries--about his humble origins--how he led the faithful during the hard and turbulent times of the martial law (in Argentina) and so on. The more I knew the pope, so does the eagerness to see him!

A Chance That Almost Slipped Away

And so January came--exactly a week before the papal visit. There were second thoughts to pursue the volunteer calling since it might be too late. In spite of this, I gave it a try. Sadly, Lian's news was not good. The quota was already met and the briefing was set before the week ends! Lian advised to attend the briefing anyways as a back-up volunteer in case some attendees will back out. And so I did, with crossed fingers.

The briefing was long; it almost took three hours. It was a-okay though since there were lots of learnings to ponder. However, the most nerve-racking moment was when they started calling all the confirmed volunteers. Will all the attendees be present--will there be slots left--will I go home devastated--only time can tell. Luckily, 37 slots were open--and I took the 33rd spot (whoopee)! After picking-up the official shirt several days later, we were officially ready!

I forgot to mention that we also have an official cap!

The Pope's Arrival

And yes, the much awaited day arrived soon enough! We arrived early near our designated spot (about 11:30am) but were instructed to stay inside the bus until further instructions. Some of us went to stretch and breathe some (not-so) fresh air. We on the other hand stayed inside, taking advantage of the aircon's cool breeze. All of our busmates eventually went back inside as the mid-afternoon heat became more prevalent. To kill the boredom, some slept while most of us watched several Filipino horror movies shown inside the bus--a very untimely movie genre to see.

At about 2:30 in the afternoon, we were called to do our duty for the pope: to serve as a human chain for crowd control and as a shield to protect Pope Francis in case of a threat. Due to the security restrictions, we were only allowed bring the essentials such as bottled water, snacks and prescription medicine.

As we line-up in our post, people came one by one, bringing along their children praying that they will be blessed--some were simply hoping to get a glimpse of the pope. Time ticked so slow on that day. It was normal provided that we were doing nothing but wait under the scorching heat. Despite of this, we were all very excited to see Pope Francis!

Light Amidst The Darkness

Soon enough, afternoon became dusk. As the sky turned from fiery orange to a dark purple hue, the big LED screen near our spot glowed more brightly, showing a live news feed of the pope's whereabouts. All of us were literally glued to the big screen, awaiting an image of Pope Francis. Five minutes before the expected time of arrival, a plane was flashed in the big screen!

People began to cheer--from the first sight of the plane--the time the pope was gazing at the small plane window onwards. I could not describe in words how all of us were sincerely thrilled. We all laughed when Pope Francis' skullcap flew away--kept silent when it was the politicians turn (the boring part)--almost teary-eyed when he hugged in joy the two young kids.

It was already pitch black when Pope Francis started his motorcade. The streetlights and the big LED screen were not enough to light the way for the pope, much less the people's happy and eager faces. At those last few moments, I dearly wished that I brought a camera to capture the moment. From the distance, police patrol lights came nearer and nearer as the loud cheers became stronger and stronger spreading like wildfire--Pope Francis was definitely coming our way!

At long last, the pope was there smiling at us while waving his hand--like he was blessing us--and then he was gone in a snap! Those crucial seconds of seeing Pope Francis sent uncontrollable shivers throughout my body--an experience that I will surely never forget! It doesn't matter anymore if I don't have a photo or video of the pope. Seeing Pope Francis in person was more fulfilling! We have definitely seen a great light, amidst the cold dark night!   

Saying Farewell

Every journey has an end, and after four fruitful and memorable days it was time for the pope to go back to Rome. And so, we were called to do our task once again for the last time. As usual, we were positioned early in the morning, anticipating a larger crowd of the faithful--no more siesta or movie break for us. Somehow, I felt a bid sad to see Pope Francis go home. I was sure that all of us felt the same thing.

Here comes the sun!

The big LED screen was not available, so we relied on our instincts to estimate the time the pope will come our way. This time, my decent camera was with me to capture some candid and fleeting moments. The scorching morning heat was now on its peak, but all of us don’t seem to care at all. Our hopes to see Pope Francis again was not dampened at all. Several minutes after the anticipated time, the familiar cheer was heard once more!

Not a moment too soon, there lo and behold Pope Francis waving so happily to the people! This time, we were unfortunate since the pope looked the other way when he passed. One of us even carried a baby, hoping that Pope Francis will spot and bless the child--and a chance to have a really close encounter. It was still okay though, we eventually went back home still contented--and blessed!

...and so that ends my memorable experience! I hope you enjoyed my story. I made the blog as short as possible. If you were able to get this far (without skipping some parts), I am truly thankful!

Acknowledgments

I sincerely would like to thank my very good friend Lian and Our Lady of Peace Parish for giving me a once in a lifetime opportunity to be a part of their volunteer team!!!

Please look forward for my upcoming blog entries this year 2015! Ikimashou!