Pope Francis and female saints in Molo Iloilo church

“Why should we take advice on sex from the pope? If he knows anything about it, he shouldn't!” George Bernard Shaw

By Alex P. Vidal

LIKE Plato, Pope Francis must be an admirer of women’s potential and capacity to govern; however, not necessarily in Vatican.

But like Aristotle, the 78-year-old spiritual leader of the world’s 1.2 billion baptized Catholics must not be ready to raise the status of women in church since, he said, they were only “taken from a rib.”

Pope Francis considers women as "the most beautiful thing God has made".

"Theology cannot be done without this feminine touch," he adds.

The Argentine pontiff believes that "women must have a greater presence in the decision-making areas of the church. But I would call this a 'functional' promotion. That won't take us very far."

The pope insists that "the issue of women needs to be gone into in more depth, otherwise you can't understand the church itself."

He did not envisage appointing a woman to head a Vatican department.

In his scheduled visit in the Philippines from January 15 to 19, Pope Francis’ activities are all in Manila.

No more out-of-town side trips.

If allowed to visit Iloilo, Pope Francis would be appalled to see that the only Catholic church in Asia with 16 images of women saints inside is in Molo Church in Molo district, Iloilo City.

It is the only church in Asia patronized 100 percent by women wanting to be empowered by the graces of women saints.

ROCKS

Made of coral rocks (affixed with a mortar made from egg whites mixed with sand), the Molo Church earned the moniker “women’s church.”

The church’s centerpiece in the retablo is the image of Sta. Ana, the patron saint of Molo.

Sta. Ana or Saint Anne was the mother of the Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus Christ.

Molo Church, the most imposing structure in the district, was built in 1891 and stands as a reminder of Iloilo’s rich history and a monument for Ilonggo artistry.

It exudes a fusion of the overpowering features of Gothic and the recessive characteristics of Romanesque architectural styles.

Very sturdy and attractive in the neighboring districts from across the Iloilo River, Molo Church has survived fires, earthquakes, and artillery barrages in 1945.

EVACUATION

Historians claim that the church was made as an evacuation center for the civilians during WWII.

According to Explore Iloilo, “One tower is said to have been destroyed by the Americans after suspecting it was used for military purposes by the Japanese during the Second World War.” It added: “The bells still bear the scars of bullets shot at Philippine resistance fighters in the second world war. The National Historical Institute declared it a national landmark in 1992.”

Pope Francis refused to be called as superman.

"I don't like this mythology of Pope Francis," he said. "It seems offensive to me to depict the pope as some sort of superman or a kind of star.”

“The pope is a man who laughs, cries, sleeps soundly at night and has friends just like anyone else. A normal person."