A Filipina nun’s moments with Pope Francis

A Filipina nun who met the late Pope Francis thrice says he carried the heart of Jesus.

“I'd like to take this moment to share my journey over the past week involving Pope Francis,” said Sister Ingkie Veloz Taboclaon, a member of Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Good and Perpetual Succour.

She had three close encounters with him: the first was in 2013 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during World Youth Day; the second was in 2015 when he visited the Philippines; and the most recent was in 2023 when she attended the General Chapter of the congregation in Rome.

“These experiences were all moments of awe. I never even thought of taking out my phone to snap a photo; I just wanted to watch him as he passed by,” recalled Taboclaon, who works currently with the Caritas Philippines Development Center, Tagaytay, an institution of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

Earlier she worked as a staff member with the Office of Social Communication of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences.

“During my last encounter, I was simply grateful to be near him—even though I didn’t get the chance to shake his hand because of the crowd, just being close to him was more than enough,” the nun said.

“What I cherished most about the last encounter was being able to hold the wheelchair he was sitting in—it felt as if I was the one guiding him. It was such a simple gesture, yet it meant so much to me,” she added.

If one looks at the picture, one will notice she was the only one who brought a flag.

“I didn’t really think much of it at the time—even my sisters were surprised—but I was simply happy to carry it. When the opportunity came, I proudly seized it. I felt so proud to be Pinoy (Filipino)! I know it was probably a bit of a nuisance to some of my sisters, though—because in some of the photos, the flag ended up covering their faces,” Taboclaon recalled.

In summary, Pope Francis inspires people to feel heard, loved, and welcomed, regardless of their life status.

He inspires Church leaders to live simply and embrace a lifestyle that reflects true service, just as a real servant of the Church should, she explained.

“Indeed, I am deeply grateful to God for the life of Pope Francis—our shepherd who truly carries the heart of Christ. He embraces the lost, heals the broken, unites the divided, and always dares to speak to a broken world,” Taboclaon said.

As the conclave is about to begin, she trusts that the Holy Spirit will be with all the cardinals as they discern and choose a new pope—someone who will be the face of Christ to all the faithful.