What Pope Francis whispered to Boots Anson-Rodrigo, husband

The creator (third from left) and her household meet the Pope, who holds 100-year-old Lola Med’s hand. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

The historic go to of Pope Francis to the Philippines from January 15 to 17, 2015 was additionally a milestone for the Rodrigos and the Roas.

As early as September 2014, I had already been known as by the Catholic Bishops Convention of the Philippines’ (CBCP) organizing committee for our households’ participation within the January 16, 2015 Mercy and Compassion “Encounter with Households” with Pope Francis on the Mall of Asia Area (MOA).

My mother-in-law, Papal Awardee Remedios Enriquez Rodrigo (Lola Med), the 100-year-old wheelchair-bound widow of the late Senator Francisco “Soc” Rodrigo, was to guide the households onstage for particular blessings. My husband, Atty. Franciso “King” Rodrigo, Jr. was to learn the welcome speech for Pope Francis on behalf of your complete MOA congregation. The Pope can be assisted by Cardinal Luis Antonio “Chito” Tagle.

On January 16, the procedures and stage blocking have been rehearsed hours earlier than this system. The Rodrigo siblings and spouses assigned to affix the Pope have been King and me, Ate Ditas and husband Cary Sevilla, now each deceased, Josefina (Pempe), Milo, Boogie and spouse Geegee. Youngest sister, Bing, had lengthy been deceased. The youngest member of the family, 7-year–previous Marie Eugenie “Miel” Santos, was to symbolize the youngsters within the Congregation. The Rodrigo kids and grandchildren have been to stay seated under the stage along with my daughter, TV 5 broadcaster Chiqui and her husband, Congressman Robbie Puno, and my son, Joey Roa of Mowelfund.

Intuition

On cue, we went up the stage, with the Rodrigo males lifting frail Lola Med’s wheelchair, with nurse and moveable oxygen tank in tow. On additional cue, we have been to strategy Pope Francis and Cardinal Chito Tagle by their platform for his blessings.

Pope Francis witnessed the problem Lola Med confronted negotiating the stage. Seemingly on intuition, and maybe prompted by the day’s theme of Mercy and Compassion, he led Cardinal Tagle down the platform as an alternative to satisfy us midway, risking attainable breach of protocol and safety.

Cardinal Tagle launched the household to the Pope in Italian, adopted by the blessing.

The creator’s husband Atty. King Rodrigo reads the welcome speech for Pope Francis on the “Encounter with Households” at MOA.

We have been all, predictably, incredulous, beholden and admittedly starstruck. Lola Med was so endearingly mesmerized, tugging at two spiritual articles which she had “smuggled “ for her parish priest and the opposite for her dying pal, (We weren’t allowed to deliver something upstage). When the Pope held her arms and blessed her articles, Lola Med cried unabashedly and will solely utter, “ I really like you, I really like you, I really like you”.

Lola Med was so enthralled (all of us have been) that she forgot to position the large Sampaguita garland on Pope Francis. Cardinal Chito’s presence of thoughts prompted him to cue me with “Tita Boots, kayo na lang ang maglagay.” It was a providential act for me, after which Pope Francis got here nearer to King and me and whispered, “Thanks. Please pray for me.”

Humility

It was a eureka second—no, extra fittingly, a luminous second, when the Spirit touched us with a stark reminder about this man’s innate humility. In an astounding reversal of roles, even earlier than any of us might ask him for prayers, he humbled himself as an alternative by pleading to us unusual mortals, sinners all, to intercede for him. Impressed by John the Baptist, Christ’s precursor, Pope Francis self-effacingly inferred, “I need to lower, so this household might improve”.

To be requested by the Holy Father to hope for him uplifted us to a place of energy, empowering us to do him a favor—to hope for one proclaimed by your complete Christendom as pious, even conferred infallibility when declaring Dogmas, creator of “Laudato Si” and different highly effective and enlightening encyclicals.

Putting a sampaguita garland on Pope Francis

In his lifetime and in his years on the Papacy, Pope Francis was acknowledged not just for his humility, however for his rootedness. He was to the earth as his lowly wood coffin was rooted to the bottom, rooted to our core and our fact, as his manifestations and declarations have been.

Pope Francis’ funeral on April 26, 2025, was a terrific equalizer, a terrific leveler. It dropped at the Vatican, the littlest state on the earth, the largest meeting from the largest states on the earth. It was attended by the excessive and the mighty, the richest and the poorest, essentially the most highly effective and the marginalized, the famend and the obscure, believers and unbelievers alike.

All have been in reverence, awe and quiet admiration for this man who remained devoted to the Church’s tenets, who was constantly easy, truthful and humble.

Thanks, Pope Francis. Our flip to ask you to please pray for us, as you are actually inside whispering distance of God, in whose loving embrace you so deservedly relaxation.