PH groups recall pontiff’s ministry for workers, prisoners
The legacy of the late Pope Francis, particularly the special attention he gave to the plight of workers and prisoners, resonated deeply among Filipino advocacy groups as they joined the nation in mourning his passing.
The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), the biggest confederation of labor groups in the country, on Tuesday urged President Marcos to declare a day of national mourning as they hailed the Catholic Church leader as a champion of the workers.
“National mourning is a solemn fitting tribute from a grateful Filipino people to a Pope who, in the face of our greatest storms, walked humbly beside us—especially with workers, the poor, and the forgotten,” TUCP president and House Deputy Speaker Raymond Democrito Mendoza said on Tuesday.
“May the memory of Pope Francis continue to inspire our collective struggle for a more just, equitable and humane world,” he added.
True freedom
During his 12-year papacy, Francis stressed the dignity and right of workers to fair wages and safe working conditions.
In 2022, for example, he declared that “there is no true freedom for workers without a union,” and called for the protection of vulnerable workers, including migrants.
“Pope Francis will be forever remembered as the Workers’ Pope. He fearlessly fought against the modern slavery of forced labor and the growing plague of precarious work,” Mendoza said.
“He marched with workers everywhere in our struggle for dignity in life and at work. His unflinching courage to condemn greed and injustice and his unwavering compassion for the last, the lost, and the least among us, live on in every call for higher wages, labor rights and decent work,” he added.
Holy Thursday visit
Also on Tuesday, Kapatid, a support group for political prisoners, recalled the Pope’s “deeply moving” and “profound” efforts to comfort those behind bars.
One of Francis’ last activities before he died on Monday was a private visit to Rome’s Regina Coeli prison where he personally greeted around 70 inmates on Holy Thursday.
Though he could no longer wash the feet of inmates, as he had traditionally done, he prayed with them and offered his blessing.
“Every year I like to do what Jesus did on Holy Thursday,” he then told them. “This year I can’t do it, but I can and want to be close to you. I am praying for you.”
Hoping for continuity
Kapatid spokesperson Fides Lim noted: “Defying medical advice to rest following double pneumonia, he chose instead to be close to prisoners.”
“To us in Kapatid, and to the families of political prisoners in the Philippines, this gesture encapsulates the very heart of Pope Francis: A pastor who never turned away from the poor, the persecuted, and the imprisoned,” said Lim, the wife of detained activist Vicente Ladlad.
She said the group was praying that the next pope would continue Francis’ 12 years of compassion, courage, openness and reform.
“And (for the next pope) to continue bringing the Church closer to the people and closer to the real struggles of our time: the plight of prisoners, the cries of migrants, the longing for peace in Palestine, and the enduring call for justice among the oppressed,” Lim said.
In the Church document formally proclaiming 2025 as Jubilee Year, the late Pontiff called on governments around the world to “undertake initiatives aimed at restoring hope” for incarcerated persons through expanded amnesty and social reintegration programs.
Heart for most vulnerable
Meanwhile, non-Catholic religious groups also paid tribute to Francis, citing his compassion, humility and unwavering faith.
“As the world mourns the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis, we join the global community in these moments of sorrow and in remembrance of the legacy of love and compassion that he has left behind,” the Ecumenical Bishops Forum (EBF) said in a statement on Tuesday.
The EBF is a fellowship of bishops from the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, United Methodist Church, Ang Iglesia Metodista sa Pilipinas, Episcopal Church in the Philippines, Iglesia Filipina Independiente, and the Roman Catholic Church.
“He was a shepherd whose heart beat for the most vulnerable among us, a voice of compassion in a world increasingly divided, a servant who walked humbly with God,” the EBF said.
“In his true life, he lived out what mercy is by his own actions. His life and legacy touched people everywhere: His pursuit of peace, justice and dignity for all people—no matter their race, creed or background—made the world a better place,” it added.
