A day removed from the event that brought them closer to Pope Francis, former streetchildren Glyzelle Palomar and Jun Chura already knew that it would change their faith for the rest of their lives
“Hindi ko po makalimutan… Ganun rin po minsan yung tatay ko, ganun rin po kabait,” Palomar told GMA 7’s “24 Oras” on Tuesday.
“Ang ganda talaga nung yakap sa kanila, parang pinapatunayan sa kanila na tulad ng lahat ng mga bata ng mundo, puwede silang magmahal at puwede silang mahalin,” said Fr. Matthieu Dauchez of Tulay ng Kabataan Foundation Inc., the charity looking after the children.
Meanwhile, Chura said the encounter was meant for all the marginalized children in the Philippines who still suffer from conditions he and Palomar conveyed to the Pope.
“Yung mga ibang bata po sa Pilipinas ay medyo nahihirapan na po. Kaya gusto ko po sanang iparining sa kanila yun, na mabigyan ng solusyon kung pano mabalik yung dating buhay nila,” Chura said.
Numerous former streetchildren received tight hugs and reassuring words from Francis during their encounter with the pontiff in an unscheduled trip after presiding mass at the Manila Cathedral.
“You see his eyes getting cloudy and beginning to fill with tears and you could see he was trying to show his affection to the children and at the same time trying to fathom this deep wound and pain,” said Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the encounter.
“Parang siya po yung tatay ko, kasi po wala na po yung tatay ko eh,” Palomar told GMA News during the event.
“Naramdaman ko kaagad yung pag-asa saka yung kapayapaan na nanggagaling sa kanya,” Chura added.
