What Pope Francis whispered to me and my husband
The historic visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines from January 15 to 17, 2015 was also a milestone for the Rodrigos and the Roas.
As early as September 2014, I had already been called by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines’ (CBCP) organizing committee for our families’ participation in the January 16, 2015 Mercy and Compassion “Encounter with Families” with Pope Francis at the Mall of Asia Arena (MOA).
My mother-in-law, Papal Awardee Remedios Enriquez Rodrigo (Lola Med), the 100-year-old wheelchair-bound widow of the late Senator Francisco “Soc” Rodrigo, was to lead the families onstage for special blessings. My husband, Atty. Franciso “King” Rodrigo, Jr. was to read the welcome speech for Pope Francis on behalf of the entire MOA congregation. The Pope would be assisted by Cardinal Luis Antonio “Chito” Tagle.
On January 16, the procedures and stage blocking were rehearsed hours before the program. The Rodrigo siblings and spouses assigned to join the Pope were King and me, Ate Ditas and husband Cary Sevilla, now both deceased, Josefina (Pempe), Milo, Boogie and wife Geegee. Youngest sister, Bing, had long been deceased. The youngest family member, 7-year–old Marie Eugenie “Miel” Santos, was to represent the children in the Congregation. The Rodrigo children and grandchildren were to remain seated below the stage together with my daughter, TV 5 broadcaster Chiqui and her husband, Congressman Robbie Puno, and my son, Joey Roa of Mowelfund.
Instinct
On cue, we went up the stage, with the Rodrigo men lifting frail Lola Med’s wheelchair, with nurse and portable oxygen tank in tow. On further cue, we were to approach Pope Francis and Cardinal Chito Tagle by their platform for his blessings.
Pope Francis witnessed the difficulty Lola Med faced negotiating the stage. Seemingly on instinct, and perhaps prompted by the day’s theme of Mercy and Compassion, he led Cardinal Tagle down the platform instead to meet us halfway, risking possible breach of protocol and security.
Cardinal Tagle introduced the family to the Pope in Italian, followed by the blessing.
We were all, predictably, incredulous, beholden and frankly starstruck. Lola Med was so endearingly mesmerized, tugging at two religious articles which she had “smuggled “ for her parish priest and the other for her dying friend, (We were not allowed to bring anything upstage). When the Pope held her hands and blessed her articles, Lola Med cried unabashedly and could only utter, “ I love you, I love you, I love you.”
Lola Med was so enthralled (we all were) that she forgot to place the huge Sampaguita garland on Pope Francis. Cardinal Chito’s presence of mind prompted him to cue me with “Tita Boots, kayo na lang ang maglagay.” It was a providential act for me, after which Pope Francis came closer to King and me and whispered, “Thank you. Please pray for me.”
Humility
It was a eureka moment—no, more fittingly, a luminous moment, when the Spirit touched us with a stark reminder about this man’s innate humility. In an astounding reversal of roles, even before any of us could ask him for prayers, he humbled himself instead by pleading to us ordinary mortals, sinners all, to intercede for him. Inspired by John the Baptist, Christ’s precursor, Pope Francis self-effacingly inferred, “I must decrease, so this family may increase”.
To be asked by the Holy Father to pray for him uplifted us to a position of power, empowering us to do him a favor—too pray for one proclaimed by the entire Christendom as pious, even conferred infallibility when declaring Dogmas, author of “Laudato Si” and other powerful and enlightening encyclicals.
In his lifetime and in his years at the Papacy, Pope Francis was recognized not only for his humility, but for his rootedness. He was to the earth as his lowly wooden coffin was rooted to the ground, rooted to our core and our truth, as his manifestations and declarations were.
Pope Francis’ funeral on April 26, 2025, was a great equalizer, a great leveler. It brought to the Vatican, the littlest state in the world, the biggest assembly from the biggest states in the world. It was attended by the high and the mighty, the richest and the poorest, the most powerful and the marginalized, the renowned and the obscure, believers and unbelievers alike.
All were in reverence, awe and quiet admiration for this man who remained faithful to the Church’s tenets, who was consistently simple, truthful and humble.
Thank you, Pope Francis. Our turn to ask you to please pray for us, as you are now within whispering distance of God, in whose loving embrace you so deservedly rest.
