Pope Francis, a humble shepherd

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

- Atty. Ruphil Bañoc

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." (Matthew 5:5,8) I have had the privilege of meeting two popes so far. The first was Pope Benedict XVI at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City in 2012, during the canonization of our very own Cebuano saint, San Pedro Calungsod. The second was Pope Francis at the Tacloban City Airport, during the Mass he celebrated for the victims of super typhoon Yolanda in 2015.

Both popes are models of humility. In both encounters, I felt a profound sense of awe from their presence. Imagine Pope Benedict XVI, despite holding the highest position in the Roman Catholic Church, humbly choosing to resign and give way for another leader to guide over 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide. He was succeeded by another humble man, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who chose the name Francis as pope.