By Arjay L. Balinbin, Associate Editor
MADRID — As Pope Leo XIV begins his apostolic visit to Spain on Saturday, Filipino migrants in the country are looking to the trip as more than a major Catholic event, seeing in it a message of dignity and recognition for people living far 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, one of Europe’s main 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 include the Canary Islands in his itinerary sends a clear signal.
“The fact that his itinerary includes the Canary Islands — Spain’s front line for migrants crossing from Africa — tells us that this is not merely a ceremonial visit,” Cardinal David told BusinessWorld.
“The Pope is going to where the pain is. He is showing that the Church does not look away.”
The visit comes as migration remains a major issue in Spain.
Reuters reported in May that the Spanish government’s migrant regularization program could benefit hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants. The report, citing Funcas, a Spanish think tank, said roughly 840,000 undocumented migrants are currently part of Spain’s workforce.
Cardinal David said the pope’s presence would resonate with Filipinos who left the Philippines in search of better opportunities.
“For our Filipino kababayan in Spain, I believe the Holy Father’s presence is a powerful reminder that they are not invisible,” he said.
“They came seeking a better life, and 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 directly to migrants.
“The Pope is saying: you have dignity, you 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, hundreds of thousands of Filipinos are living witnesses of that same faith — right here in Spain. They are not just recipients of charity. They are the Church, present and active, in the heart of Europe.”
Among those looking forward to the visit is Mariel, a 33-year-old Filipino from Bohol who has lived in Madrid for four years and works as an interna, or live-in domestic worker.
Mariel said she considers it a privilege to have the opportunity to see Pope Leo in Spain.
“When we learned that he was coming here, I thought maybe it would be good to go, or even just to see him,” she said.
Mariel said she does not regularly attend Mass because of work demands. She added that several Filipinos she lives with are planning to attend events related to the papal visit.
Another Filipino worker, Marjorie, 26, from Tarlac, said fellow Filipinos encouraged her to join them. “It is a privilege that he is coming here,” she said. “It is an opportunity to see him and hear his words of wisdom.”
Fr. Ferdi Q. Bajao, SVD, said Filipino migrants are likely to welcome Pope Leo not only as the leader of the Catholic Church, but also as a familiar presence.
“Hospitality runs deep in our national psyche, so a visit of a loved one, or an anticipated figure would surely generate a familiar and familial warmth — a heightened sense of presence,” he told BusinessWorld.
“The Filipino migrants definitely will look forward to the presence of a friend, father, pastor, brother — a panauhin who deserves the 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 would be enough to see the Pope as a tangible icon of the Lord, who is dear to a Catholic nation in exile in a foreign land,” he said.
“The Filipinos will be edified that Christ comes to them in their loneliness, helplessness, and in their chains — work, sending money back home, separation from loved ones.”
“The person of the Pope is a powerful anchorage of confidence that all shall be well, that each one is precious, and most important: not forgotten.”
He also pointed to the historical ties between Spain and the Philippines.
“This will 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 are not a problem to be managed,” he said.
“They are people to be welcomed — as the Gospel demands and as our common humanity requires.”
