'A true father to us' - Filipinos mourn Pope Francis

By Jay Ereno and Mikhail Flores

Filipinos knelt before a framed photo of Pope Francis surrounded by flowers and candles inside the Manila Cathedral on Tuesday for a solemn Mass following his passing.

Some shed tears and turned emotional at the 450-year-old cathedral and churches around the Philippines, one of the world's largest Catholic strongholds, where worshippers gathered to honour the pontiff known affectionately as "Lolo Kiko", or Grandpa Kiko.

"Lolo Kiko was a true father to us," said Cardinal Jose Advincula, the archbishop of Manila, during the morning Mass as solemn hymns sung by the choir echoed through the basilica.

Among those praying for the pope's eternal repose was Ina Delos Reyes, 32, who had just seen Francis make a brief appearance in St. Peter's Square on Palm Sunday.

"I didn't think it would be the last time," she said. "All the people there were fortunate enough to see him."

"I have experienced grief even if I didn't know him personally, it was still painful to lose the shepherd of the Church."

Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died on Monday after suffering a stroke and cardiac arrest, the Vatican said, ending an often turbulent reign in which he sought to overhaul an ancient and divided institution.

The Philippines, home to more than 80 million Catholics, has long had a special connection with Francis, who visited the country in 2015, drawing a record crowd of up to seven million people at a historic Mass in the capital.

In his homily during that visit, the pope urged Filipinos to shun "social structures which perpetuate poverty, ignorance and corruption".

Francis' journey included a visit to Tacloban, where he met with survivors of Typhoon Haiyan, the deadliest storm in Philippine history.

In the capital region's Caloocan district, Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David led a Mass, delivering a homily that reflected the spirit of Francis' papacy.

"Pope Francis taught us how to treat not just fellow Catholics, not just fellow Christians, not just fellow believers, but all human beings, and even every fellow creature in our common home as a fellow traveller, as fellow pilgrims of hope," David said.

POWERFUL FORCE

Cardinal Advincula described the Francis 2015 visit as "a moment of grace forever etched in our memory".

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, a Catholic, described Francis as the "best pope in my lifetime" as he expressed deep sorrow over his passing.

The Catholic Church in the Philippines has been a powerful force in society, helping to oust two leaders, most notably the father and namesake of the current president, and speaking out against human rights abuses, including a spree of killings in former President Rodrigo Duterte's controversial "war on drugs".

As the Church prepares for a new conclave, attention has turned to what could be a historic shift - one of the possible candidates to succeed Francis is Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle.

Tagle, 67 is often called the "Asian Francis" because of his similar commitment to social justice. If elected he would be the first pontiff from Asia, where only the Philippines and East Timor have majority Catholic populations.

He has decades of pastoral experience following his ordination to the priesthood in 1982 and a strong administrative background as bishop of Imus and then as archbishop of Manila.

"I would be happy to have a Filipino pope," Delos Reyes said, but her prayers are with the cardinals who will prepare to choose the next leader of the Church. "I leave it to the Holy Spirit."