A Pope past. A Pope present
( Photo by: www.nbcnews.com)
The Philippine media is at it again. Networks are scrambling for the best position there is in all of Pope Francis' activities from January 15 to 19.
Beat assignments are already in place.14 lucky Filipino journalists are traveling with the Pope from Italy to Sri Lanka and the Philippines. They will accompany the Pope to Rome when he heads back from Manila on Monday to complete their pilgrimage with the leader of the world's 1.2 billion catholic faithful.
Exactly 20 years ago, I was among the more than a hundred reporters, priests and bishops that ZNN Veritas fielded to cover Pope John Paul II's visit and the 1995 World Youth Day. It was six days of not eating well and on time, of leaving home and sleeping at the station's quarters, of putting my kidneys to test, of tears and faith. It was the six day of my life that catapulted me as a broadcast practitioner.
It was hard. Harder than I thought. Alongside Joel Reyes Zobel (now anchor par excellance of DZBB), I got up close and personal with JP II as he alighted from an Al Italia plane, the Pope's official carrier. He breached security when he made his way to the throng of children waiting for him at the tarmac. From there, Veritas pool of reporters covered the Pope's itinerary. 10 meters away from each other, we were stationed everywhere for the blow by blow account of his Manila pilgrimage.
I was accidentally tasked to annotate JP II's high mass at the Luneta Grandstand. The priest assigned to do the task was not able to wade through the sea of people at the Rizal Park.
Thanks to the preparations made by Radio Veritas. The pool of reporters were aptly informed and trained to cover the event with enough background on religious terms and nuances, and of course of the bits and pieces of information about the Holy Father who is now a saint.
So, for the first-timers out there who are lucky enough to be part of this once-in-a-lifetime media coverage, here's some points that might help.
-Follow protocols. Don't break any. Only the Pope has the right to do so. He might want to shake the hands of some people in the crowd especially when the Pope sees a child. It's perfectly fine, he is the Pope.
-Don't be deceived by the towering good looking men in black. They're burly and they are the Swiss guards. A highly-trained elite group tasked to secure the Pope.
-When blending in with the crowd, blend with the crowd. Don't roll your eyes and act differently. Even if you have a Press I.D, you'd still be subjected by the Swiss guards' scrutiny.
-Do not also be deceived by the not so towering men in barongs. They're the PSG and like any other pilgrim, they'd also be star-strucked (it happens all the time) and possibly take a selfie afterwards.
-If the Pope happens to pass on your way, and you find yourself not able to speak or report on air, don't be alarmed. It is normal. Chances are, you've been under the Pope's charismatic and magical spell.
- If you have chills, your legs wobbling and your hair, raising, don't panic. You're still under the Holy Father's enigmatic spell.
-If you find yourself crying every now and then with no reason at all, it is also normal. You'd cry when you see him. For once in your life as a journalist, show your emotions, cry if you must. Nobody will notice. All will cry, anyway.
-Bring lots of water, food, and a lot of patience. Don't go low on gasoline, hope and faith. But believe me, you might never notice that you're hungry. The Pope is so engrossing, he'd make you forget about yourself.
-There is no assurance of eternal sunshine during a Pope's visit. But hey, enjoy the drizzle, the heat and the elements. You don't cover a Pope every day of your life.
-Know what you are saying. Remember that the mass has two main parts. The Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Speak when there's a dead air. Stop, when the Pope or a mass reader or server is talking.
-Learn the Pope's garbs and vestments. The skull cap is a 'zucchetto' and the 'hat' is not a 'halo' or a 'headgear'. it is called the Papal Miter. Halos are for angels, headgears are for cyclists.
-The 'tungkod' which Pope Francis rarely use (but was JP II's favorite accessory) is not a tungkod per se', it is the Papal Staff. A replica of a bent Jesus nailed on the cross adorns the topmost part of the staff. A souvenir pendant of the same Jesus on the cross is a very good reminder of your faith and the rare opportunity that you've been with the Holy Father even just from a distance.
-The Holy Father's 'necklace' is not an ordinary one. It is called the Pectoral Cross. It lands directly on his heart which is 'pectus' in Latin.
-Savor each moment for it is never coming back again. Buy a memento if you must, and by golly, don't lose it. It is a very good conversation piece with your children and grandchildren in the days to come.
-And in case you're wondering why the overhyped security and Papal visit preparations, don't! The Pope is not only the leader of the Catholic Church. He is at the same time, a head of state. the Vatican is a country within a country. His coming to the Philippines is both a pastoral and a state visit.
So now you're ready. Go, cover the Pope and bite the dust.
After everything, wait and hope for the day that Pope Francis will be ranked as one of heaven's miraculous intercessors. By then, you can take pride in saying 'I've covered a POPE and a SAINT'.
Just like I did.
Saint and Pope John Paul II's Popemobile (1995 Philippine visit)
(Photo by: www. flickr.com)
getting ready for the Papal coverage (ZNN Veritas 846)
The faithful. In multitude they flocked, chanthing Tutus Tuos & Viva il Papa
(Photo by ntpilgrims.wordpress.com)
The proof . Life & and career-changing experience
Biyahera's turn a-reminiscin'
(20 years ago as a reporter
for ZNN Veritas 846,
official media carrier of Saint John Paul II's Philippine pilgrimage)
'I have a sweet tooth
for song and music.
This is my Polish sin.'
-Saint John Paul II
'Life is a journey.
when we stop,
things don't go right'
-Pope Francis
