Pope Francis Highlights the Life of St. Lorenzo Ruiz the Philippines 1st Saint in Welcome to Group from Spain

 Pope Francis highlights the life of St. Lorenzo Ruiz, the Philippines’ first saint; while speaking to members of Spain's Filipino community,. The pope spoke to representatives of the Filipino community living in Spain, Pope Francis expressed his joy at their visit to the Vatican. He began by complimenting the word they have chosen as the title of their mission in Madrid: “Tahanan,” which translated means "home." The private audience marked the 25th anniversary of the canonical establishment of the personal parish of the Immaculate Conception and St. Lorenzo Ruiz in the city of Barcelona. There are over 200,000 Filipino nationals in Spain, the community has a headquarters in Madrid at the parish of Nuestra Señora del Espino, or "Our Lady of the Thorn."

FULL TEXT GREETING OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS
TO THE MEMBERS OF THE PHILIPPINE COMMUNITY IN SPAIN
Consistory Hall on Monday, 16 December 2024_____________________________
Dear brothers and sisters,
I am happy to welcome you here today.
You have wanted to call your mission in Madrid: “Tahanan”; a beautiful word that we can translate as home. And it is true, the Church wherever we go, is always a home for us, a warm, welcoming home, and today the house of Peter is like a home for you too. Welcome!
I have seen that in Madrid you have your headquarters in the parish of Our Lady of the Thorn. And this has made me think of so many migrants who, far from finding that warm and welcoming home, rather encounter countless difficulties and misunderstandings that rise up like a thorn against them. Our Blessed Mother comes to us on these thorns, so that we do not lose hope, and are able to face problems, trusting in her protection and shelter.
The reason for this visit is the 25th anniversary of the canonical erection of the personal parish of the Immaculate Conception and San Lorenzo Ruiz, in Barcelona. San Lorenzo is a beautiful figure, because on the one hand he speaks to us of the integration of cultures. His family, like that of Cardinal Tagle, had Chinese and Filipino ancestry and, together with the Spanish family that gave him faith, they created an excellent mix. On the other hand, he had to leave his land due to injustice, in his case defamation, like many people who are still forced to emigrate today to save their lives or seek a better future. Finally, upon arriving in the land that should have welcomed him, God asked him to bear witness to his faith with the greatest proof of love, to give his life.
Dear sisters, dear brothers, let us imitate them. Both had to leave their land, but both did so embracing Jesus. Trusting in Jesus, both faced difficulties without ever losing hope and both are examples of a life dedicated to serving God in their brothers and sisters. In this way we will be able to build our “tahanan”, that welcoming and warm home that, like a Mother, must be our Church. May the Child God bless you and the Holy Virgin take care of you.
And I have two beautiful memories of my visit to your land: the seven million people at the Mass in Manila, and then the Mass in Tacloban. With the rain and the winds, I remember that we had to run away because a gale was coming and otherwise we could not take off.
The Filipinos are men of faith, women of faith. Some of you work here in the Vatican and it is great, the faith you have and the testimony you give is great. Continue giving testimony in this society that has become too rich, too competent, too self-sufficient. Thank you for what you do.
Now I give you my blessing.