— REUTERS
By Arjay L. Balinbin, Associate Editor
MADRID — As Pope Leo XIV begins his apostolic visit to Spain on Saturday, Filipino migrants within the country want to the trip as greater than a serious Catholic event, seeing in it a message of dignity and recognition for people living removed from home.
The pontiff’s June 6-12 visit will take him to Madrid, Barcelona, Tenerife, and Gran Canaria. The inclusion of the Canary Islands, certainly one of Europe’s major entry points for migrants crossing from Africa, has given the visit particular significance amid continuing debates over migration in Spain and across the continent.
For Cardinal Pablo Virgilio S. David, the pope’s decision to incorporate the Canary Islands in his itinerary sends a transparent signal.
“The indisputable fact that his itinerary includes the Canary Islands — Spain’s front line for migrants crossing from Africa — tells us that this is just not merely a ceremonial visit,” Cardinal David told BusinessWorld.
“The Pope goes to where the pain is. He’s showing that the Church doesn’t look away.”
The visit comes as migration stays a serious issue in Spain.
Reuters reported in May that the Spanish government’s migrant regularization program may benefit tons of of hundreds of undocumented migrants. The report, citing Funcas, a Spanish think tank, said roughly 840,000 undocumented migrants are currently a part of Spain’s workforce.
Cardinal David said the pope’s presence would resonate with Filipinos who left the Philippines in the hunt for higher opportunities.
“For our Filipino kababayan in Spain, I consider the Holy Father’s presence is a robust reminder that they usually are not invisible,” he said.
“They got here in search of a greater life, and so they have given Spain their labor, their faith, and their families.”
The cardinal said Pope Leo’s motto for the visit, Alzad la mirada (“Lift your gaze”), speaks on to migrants.
“The Pope is saying: you could have dignity, you could have a future, lift your eyes.”
Cardinal David also drew attention to the historical connection between Spain and the Philippines. “Spain once sent missionaries to the Philippines to plant the Gospel,” he said.
“Today, tons of of hundreds of Filipinos reside witnesses of that very same faith — right here in Spain. They usually are not just recipients of charity. They’re the Church, present and lively, in the guts of Europe.”
Amongst those looking forward to the visit is Mariel, a 33-year-old Filipino from Bohol who has lived in Madrid for 4 years and works as an interna, or live-in domestic employee.
Mariel said she considers it a privilege to have the chance to see Pope Leo in Spain.
“Once we learned that he was coming here, I assumed perhaps it will be good to go, and even simply to see him,” she said.
Mariel said she doesn’t frequently attend Mass due to work demands. She added that several Filipinos she lives with are planning to attend events related to the papal visit.
One other Filipino employee, Marjorie, 26, from Tarlac, said fellow Filipinos encouraged her to hitch them. “It’s a privilege that he’s coming here,” she said. “It’s a chance to see him and listen to his words of wisdom.”
Fr. Ferdi Q. Bajao, SVD, said Filipino migrants are prone to welcome Pope Leo not only because the leader of the Catholic Church, but in addition as a well-known presence.
“Hospitality runs deep in our national psyche, so a visit of a loved one, or an anticipated figure would surely generate a well-known and familial warmth — a heightened sense of presence,” he told BusinessWorld.
“The Filipino migrants definitely will sit up for the presence of a friend, father, pastor, brother — a panauhin who deserves the very best of welcome, and who belongs to us, di iba sa amin.”
He said the pope’s visit would hold particular significance for Filipinos living away from their families.
“It could be enough to see the Pope as a tangible icon of the Lord, who’s dear to a Catholic nation in exile in a foreign land,” he said.
“The Filipinos will probably be edified that Christ involves them of their loneliness, helplessness, and of their chains — work, sending a refund home, separation from family members.”
“The person of the Pope is a robust anchorage of confidence that every one shall be well, that every one is precious, and most vital: not forgotten.”
He also pointed to the historical ties between Spain and the Philippines.
“This will probably be a full circle for Filipinos who in 1521 first received the Faith from Spain, and now are ‘missionaries of Faith’ as well to Spain,” he said.
For Cardinal David, the broader significance of the pope’s visit lies in how migrants are viewed.
“Migrants usually are not an issue to be managed,” he said.
“They’re people to be welcomed — because the Gospel demands and as our common humanity requires.”