Marcos: Pope Francis was with ‘profound faith, humility’

| PHOTO: President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr,’s Facebook page

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday mourned the passing of Pope Francis, calling this day a “profoundly sad day” for Catholics worldwide.

In a statement posted on his social media accounts, Marcos described the Argentine pontiff as a man with “profound faith and humility.”

READ: Pope Francis has died aged 88 – Vatican

READ: Pope Francis’ death: World leaders react

“The Philippines joins the Catholic community worldwide in grieving the loss of His Holiness Pope Francis. A man of profound faith and humility, Pope Francis led not only with wisdom but with a heart open to all, especially the poor and the forgotten,” he said.

Marcos also said that, by example, Pope Francis, affectionately known to Filipinos as “Lolo Kiko,” taught everyone that “to be a good Christian is to extend kindness and care to one another.”

“His humility brought many back to the fold of the Church,” Marcos said.

“As we mourn his passing, we honor a life that brought hope and compassion to so many and inspired us to love one another as Christ loved us,” he added.

Meanwhile, in a press release, Marcos was quoted as saying during the sidelines of a sectoral meeting, “Ibang klase si Pope Francis (Pope Francis is one of a kind). That’s really sad. I love this Pope. The best Pope in my lifetime, as far as I’m concerned.”

The Vatican said Pope Francis passed away at 7:35 a.m. local time on Monday. He was 88.

Pope Francis made a historic visit to the Philippines in 2015, following the catastrophe left by Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) in 2013.

During his visit, the pope celebrated Mass at the Manila Cathedral and the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas.

He also held an emotional outdoor Mass in Tacloban City amid strong rains and winds brought about by an approaching storm.