Photos | Church of the Poor: Cubao bishop reflects on Pope Francis’ enduring vision

A Filipino bishop appointed by Pope Francis months before his death led a requiem Mass in Quezon City, honoring the pontiff’s legacy of humility and his vision of a Church that stands with the poor.

Bishop Elias Ayuban, CMF, presided over the liturgy at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Cubao on April 22, leading the local Church in prayer and remembrance for Pope Francis, who died on April 21 at the age of 88.

The requiem Mass was part of a nationwide observance, with dioceses across the Philippines offering liturgies for the late pontiff. 

The bishop, appointed to the Diocese of Cubao on Oct. 4, 2024—Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi—described Pope Francis as “a life lived in service to the poor, the Gospel, and the Church.”

Ayuban, who served in the Vatican’s Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life from 2012 to 2019, shared that he witnessed the historic 2013 conclave up close. 

“At the time I was working at the Vatican,” he recalled. “It had not felt such rogue, collective joy since I experienced that in EDSA People Power Revolution in 1986.”

He said the newly elected pope’s choice of the name Francis signaled a bold shift in the papacy’s focus. “His choice of the name Francis speaks volumes to us Filipinos, especially in light of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines’ vision of the Church as the Church of the Poor.”

Pope Francis, he said, immediately lived out that mission. “He lives as one of the poor,” said the bishop. “From the start, his actions reflected his words.”

Ayuban recounted a story shared by Helena, a homeless woman in Rome who was invited to a private audience with the pope inside the Sistine Chapel alongside other street dwellers. 

“She told me, ‘Father, I felt I belong to the Church.’ That was Pope Francis’ gift—making the forgotten feel seen and loved.”

The bishop said it was no coincidence that Pope Francis died during the Easter Octave. “There is no better time to die than to die on an Easter Octave. I believe this is God’s validation for everything he did for the Church.”

Before concluding the liturgy, Bishop Ayuban invited the faithful to rise and give thanks for the late pontiff’s life. “We are here not simply to grieve, but to give thanks—to celebrate a life of mercy, simplicity, and solidarity with the poor.”

Memorial Masses and prayers for Pope Francis will continue in the Diocese of Cubao and across the country until April 30.

All photos by Jire Carreon