<\/p>\n
By Arjay L. Balinbin<\/strong>, Associate Editor<\/em><\/p>\n MADRID \u2014 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.<\/p>\n The pontiff\u2019s June 6-12 visit will take him to Madrid, Barcelona, Tenerife, and Gran Canaria. The inclusion of the Canary Islands, certainly one of Europe\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n For Cardinal Pablo Virgilio S. David, the pope\u2019s decision to incorporate the Canary Islands in his itinerary sends a transparent signal.<\/p>\n \u201cThe indisputable fact that his itinerary includes the Canary Islands \u2014 Spain\u2019s front line for migrants crossing from Africa \u2014 tells us that this is just not merely a ceremonial visit,\u201d Cardinal David told BusinessWorld.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Pope goes to where the pain is. He’s showing that the Church doesn’t look away.\u201d<\/p>\n The visit comes as migration stays a serious issue in Spain.<\/p>\n Reuters reported in May that the Spanish government\u2019s 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\u2019s workforce.<\/p>\n Cardinal David said the pope\u2019s presence would resonate with Filipinos who left the Philippines in the hunt for higher opportunities.<\/p>\n \u201cFor our Filipino kababayan in Spain, I consider the Holy Father\u2019s presence is a robust reminder that they usually are not invisible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey got here in search of a greater life, and so they have given Spain their labor, their faith, and their families.\u201d<\/p>\n The cardinal said Pope Leo\u2019s motto for the visit, Alzad la mirada (\u201cLift your gaze\u201d), speaks on to migrants.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Pope is saying: you could have dignity, you could have a future, lift your eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n Cardinal David also drew attention to the historical connection between Spain and the Philippines. \u201cSpain once sent missionaries to the Philippines to plant the Gospel,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cToday, tons of of hundreds of Filipinos reside witnesses of that very same faith \u2014 right here in Spain. They usually are not just recipients of charity. They’re the Church, present and lively, in the guts of Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Mariel said she considers it a privilege to have the chance to see Pope Leo in Spain.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce we learned that he was coming here, I assumed perhaps it will be good to go, and even simply to see him,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n One other Filipino employee, Marjorie, 26, from Tarlac, said fellow Filipinos encouraged her to hitch them. \u201cIt’s a privilege that he’s coming here,\u201d she said. \u201cIt’s a chance to see him and listen to his words of wisdom.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cHospitality 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 \u2014 a heightened sense of presence,\u201d he told BusinessWorld.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Filipino migrants definitely will sit up for the presence of a friend, father, pastor, brother \u2014 a panauhin who deserves the very best of welcome, and who belongs to us, di iba sa amin.\u201d<\/p>\n He said the pope\u2019s visit would hold particular significance for Filipinos living away from their families.<\/p>\n \u201cIt 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Filipinos will probably be edified that Christ involves them of their loneliness, helplessness, and of their chains \u2014 work, sending a refund home, separation from family members.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n He also pointed to the historical ties between Spain and the Philippines.<\/p>\n \u201cThis will probably be a full circle for Filipinos who in 1521 first received the Faith from Spain, and now are \u2018missionaries of Faith\u2019 as well to Spain,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n For Cardinal David, the broader significance of the pope\u2019s visit lies in how migrants are viewed. \u201cThey’re people to be welcomed \u2014 because the Gospel demands and as our common humanity requires.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Pope Leo XIV blesses an object held by a lady outside the papal residence, before heading back to the Vatican, in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, June 2, 2026. \u2014 REUTERS By Arjay L. Balinbin, Associate Editor MADRID \u2014 As Pope Leo XIV begins his apostolic visit to Spain on Saturday, Filipino migrants within the country want […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":346329,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[11316,28976,17278,21151,7157,24164,7839,7069,11289,4330],"class_list":["post-346328","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-carries","tag-dignity","tag-filipino","tag-leos","tag-message","tag-migrants","tag-pope","tag-spain","tag-visibility","tag-visit"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346328","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=346328"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346328\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":346331,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346328\/revisions\/346331"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/346329"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=346328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=346328"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=346328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\u201cMigrants usually are not an issue to be managed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n