Filipinos mourn Pope Francis' death: 'He was our Jesus for our age'

University of Santo Tomas, which Francis visited in 2015—when he was also named an honorary Thomasian and was given the official UST identification card—said the Pope "led the Church with a heart like Christ's," "in mercy and compassion."

"We mourn the passing of Pope Francis, whose life was a testament to love, humility, and grace," UST said, while also calling him "Lolo Kiko."

UST, Asia's oldest university, said Francis "has maintained a memorable connection to Thomasians," taking note of his first-ever English speech during the Philippine Conference on New Evangelization.

It also noted the pope's visit to the campus in 2015, meeting with the youth at its Grandstand and Open Spaces.

The Varsitarian, UST's official student publication, shared photos of its coverage during Francis' visit. It also changed its Facebook profile picture and banner photo depicting His Holiness.

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said that though "we grieve like orphans because he was truly Lolo Kiko for us, we also stand firm in faith and hope that the radiance of the risen Lord will shine upon him forever."

"He was the gift of the Good Shepherd to the Church," Villegas continued. "He served us with humility. He showed us God's mercy. He linked us with bridges of compassion with fellow believers and with non-believers. He bravely disturbed us in our complacency and prejudices. He taught us to care for God's creation. He taught us Jesus. Pope Francis was our Jesus for our age."

Villegas said the images of Francis' visit are "clear and vivid in our grateful hearts."

He said that when government authorities mocked, ridiculed, and threatened him for his stance against extrajudicial killings, Francis assured and encouraged him personally in Rome "to carry on my task of guiding the flock through my pastoral letters."

Screenwriter Jerry Gracio recalled Francis' stance on several issues. He noted how the pope protected workers from capitalists who treated them as "economic utility," and how the pope spoke out against Israel's bombing of Palestine, which affected even the children.

Gracio also noted Francis' "nuanced" stance on divorce, which the pope had said might be "morally necessary."

"Bagaman hindi niya binago ang katuruan ng simbahan hinggil sa LGBTQIA community, pabor siya sa pagsasabatas ng same sex unions para protektahan ang komunidad," Gracio said.

"Papa Francisco, salamat sa pagpapadama sa amin sa pagmamahal ng Diyos. Nagpupugay kami at namamaalam," he added.

Pulitzer-winning journalist Manny Mogato recalled seeing Francis face-to-face during the pope's meeting with former President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III in Malacañang.

"I had the chance to touch him when [he] walked across the room," Mogato said, adding that he saw the pope later in Palo in Leyte to celebrate the Holy Eucharist for the victims of Typhoon Yolanda, one of the deadliest typhoons to hit the Philippines.

Award-winning photojournalist Ezra Acayan shared a photo he took of Francis winking during a visit to Singapore last September.

"Rest in Peace, Pope Francis. So blessed to have captured this picture of you last year during your visit to Singapore. You were definitely a revolutionary," said Acayan, who also shared Francis' quote, "A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just."

Veteran documentarist Howie Severino reshared his January 2015 note about what Francis can do ahead of visiting the Philippines that year.

In resharing his post, Severino put the caption, "Pope Francis was a model for how to be a man of faith and a man of science at the same time."

"He will surely use it to convey words of comfort for the afflicted. But will he also have a message that will shake up the comfortable, even a gentle prick of the conscience that will recognize the deep social injustices afflicting the only Catholic nation in Asia?" an excerpt from his 2015 post read.

Meanwhile, sociologist Ash Presto said Francis "made being Catholic less morally suffocating, less burdened by contradiction."

"This is heartbreaking news for the faithful," Presto said, "and for those like me who only slowly found their way to faith because someone at the helm reminded us that the Church could also be a place to breathe."

"The world may have lost Pope Francis at a time when so many institutions are retreating into conservatism. I hold onto the hope that his example urged us to keep the line steady, and the doors open," she added.

Comic artist Kevin Raymundo, more popularly known as Tarantadong Kalbo, shared a monochrome doodle of Francis, whose zucchetto or skullcap has become a halo.

The official page of Dogs in Philippine History, the 2023 book of historian Ian Alfonso, shared a photo of Francis petting one of the dog performers during the Rony Roller Circus troupe's visit to the Holy See last Jan. 15.

Songwriter Lolito Go, for his part, posted a cover of Elton John's Candle in the Wind, changing "Norma Jeane" to "Holy Father."

Easter Monday death

Vatican News announced the passing of Francis on Easter Monday at 3:56 p.m. He was 88.

He died at his residence in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta.

Before his death, Francis survived a serious bout of double pneumonia.

His death came a day after he had made his first prolonged public appearance since being discharged on March 23 from a 38-day hospital stay for pneumonia.

On Easter Sunday, Francis had entered St. Peter's Square in an open-air popemobile shortly after midday, greeting cheering crowds. He had also offered a special blessing for the first time since Christmas.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope on March 13, 2013, surprising many Church watchers who had seen the Argentine cleric, known for his concern for the poor, as an outsider.

He sought to project simplicity into the grand role and never took possession of the ornate papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace used by his predecessors, saying he preferred to live in a community setting for his "psychological health."

He inherited a Church that was under attack over a child sex abuse scandal and torn by infighting in the Vatican bureaucracy, and was elected with a clear mandate to restore order.

But as his papacy progressed, he faced fierce criticism from conservatives, who accused him of trashing cherished traditions. He also drew the ire of progressives, who felt he should have done much more to reshape the 2,000-year-old Church.

While he struggled with internal dissent, Francis became a global superstar, drawing huge crowds on his many foreign travels as he tirelessly promoted interfaith dialogue and peace, taking the side of the marginalised, such as migrants.

Unique in modern times, there were two men wearing white in the Vatican for much of Francis' rule, with his predecessor Benedict opting to continue to live in the Holy See after his shock resignation in 2013 had opened the way for a new pontiff.

Benedict, a hero of the conservative cause, died in December 2022, finally leaving Francis alone on the papal stage.

Francis appointed nearly 80% of the cardinal electors who will choose the next pope as of February 2025, increasing the possibility that his successor will continue his progressive policies, despite the strong pushback from traditionalists. (with reports from Reuters)