Pope Francis loves the poor, but will he see any in Manila?

Pope Francis is constantly urging the faithful to love the poor. But many poverty-stricken Filipinos believe he will be prevented from seeing how the poorest of the poor live in the slums of Manila.

When Pope John Paul II visited the Philippines in 1981, then first Lady Imelda Marcos had slum areas boarded up so the future saint wouldn’t see the abject poverty of so many Filipinos.

While there’s no suggestion this will happen when Pope Francis visits the country next week, a group says it fears the government will not let the pope “truly witness the dire situation of the vast majority of Filipinos living in poverty.”

The Student Christian Movement (STM) said it was urging Pope Francis to “surprise the Filipino people by paying a visit to the darkest corners of Philippine society, where the hope and love he harbours is needed the most”.

STM spokesman Einstein Recedes hoped the Pope would diverge from his official itinerary and make surprise visits to the urban poor during his visit here.

But with the overwhelming concern for the Pope’s safety, the authorities said changing his itinerary would be too risky.

The authorities recognise the pontiff is in the habit of breaking protocol in order to reach out to people, especially the poor.

Marvin Mejia, secretary-general of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said the government had assured Catholic Church officials they were ready even for the surprises that might come during his five-day visit.

“While the Pope had a habit of veering away from set activities, it’s presumed the general itinerary will be followed.

Meanwhile, the CBCP is in the uncomfortable position of having to refuse persistent requests from Manila’s glitterati to meet the pontiff during his visit.

The wealth gap between the rich and the poor in the Philippines is enormous. The rich and the famous donate huge sums to the Cathodic Church. Many have offered large donations to church charities, but with one attached string that leads to the pontificals of the Bishop of Rome.

But Pope Francis, who has eschewed the rich trappings of his post as the Vicar of Christ, would not take kindly to Manilas privileged hogging the limelight and depriving him of his time with the poor and needy.