“We must show the world that our faith is not just cultural – but transformational”
Try to imagine it: white smoke rises, the bells ring, and the world hears the words “Habemus Papam!” – and he’s Filipino.
It would be a proud moment. The first Filipino, the first Asian, to become pope. Headlines would explode. Churches would be filled. Flags would fly. We’d call it a dream come true – for the most Catholic country in Asia.
But when the joy fades, we must ask the deeper question: Are we ready – not just to have a pope – but to be the kind of people worthy of one?
Because the papacy is not just about prestige. It’s a witness to Christ. A call to holiness. If a Filipino pope ever rises, it should not just be a cause for pride – it should be a call for conversion.
We must look at who we are as a nation. We profess a deep faith, but too often that faith is performative. We are the third-largest Catholic country in the world, yet we are plagued by poverty, corruption, and injustice.
We hear God’s name in speeches but ignore the cries of the poor. We go to church on Sunday but look away from wrongdoing on Monday.
The wounds are still fresh. A brutal war on drugs that killed thousands – mostly the poor – without trial or justice. Pandemic funds lost in corruption. Truth buried under digital disinformation. We call ourselves resilient – but maybe what we need is repentance. Not just survival – but moral revival.
So if a Filipino were elected pope, what would it demand of us?
Look at history.
When Karol Wojtyła became Pope John Paul II, his election stirred the Polish soul. His faith sparked courage. He didn’t bring tanks, only truth – and, with it, Solidarity was born. The Iron Curtain fell not through violence, but faith.
When Jorge Bergoglio became Pope Francis, he reminded a broken Argentina – and the world – that the Church must be close to the poor, and that greatness lies in simplicity. His witness healed wounds and rekindled faith.
In both cases, their elections inspired more than pride. They called their nations to rise higher.
Could the same happen to us?
If a Filipino pope were chosen, it should not only be a symbol –it should be a mirror. Instead of asking, “Will we ever have a Filipino pope?” perhaps the better question is: “Will we ever become the kind of people who live the Gospel he would preach?”
Because we don’t need to wait for a Filipino pope to clean up our act. The challenge is not for Rome – it’s for us.
It calls us to live our faith with integrity – to bring Gospel values into politics, into daily decisions, into our future.
Especially now, as we approach the 2025 elections.
It’s another chance to choose not just leaders, but the kind of leadership we believe in. We’ve seen elections twisted by money and manipulation. We’ve seen how trolls drown out truth, and how voters get disillusioned.
But this time can be different.
If the thought of a Filipino pope inspires us, then let it move us – to demand integrity, to reject lies, and to vote with principle.
Because if we hope for a pope from our people, we must first be a people of justice, mercy, and truth.
We must show the world that our faith is not just cultural – but transformational. That we don’t idolize strongmen – but uplift servant leaders. That we don’t run from our past – but face it with humility, healing, and hope.
A Filipino pope, if he comes, will not save us. But he might remind us that we are worth saving.
So maybe the real prayer isn’t “Lord, make one of us pope.”
Maybe the better prayer is: “Lord, make all of us better Christians.”
Because the true measure of our faith is not whether one of us wears the white cassock – but whether all of us wear the Gospel in our hearts.
And maybe, just maybe, if we live that faith – if we vote, lead, serve, and love as Christ taught us – then the world won’t just see the Philippines as a Catholic country.
They’ll see a country that lives the Gospel.
A people who will tell the truth, lift the poor, and love the forgotten.
Not just ready for a pope – but ready to change the world.
So let’s begin now.
Not by waiting – but by walking.
Not by boasting – but by becoming.
And when the day comes – and a Filipino steps onto that balcony in Rome – may the world not just cheer.
May they say: “Now there is a people who live what they believe.”
May it be so.
(The author currently seats at the HoR as a nominee of the Partylist Tingog)
