How meeting Pope Francis and exchanging skullcaps with him 'transformed' this Filipino's faith
Not everybody got to have an in-person encounter with the late Pope Francis and receive a memento from him. This is why, for Marc Lim, that fleeting moment he shared with the pontiff became a lifelong rock to his faith and connection with God.
Lim, who works for a humanitarian organization on logistics and supply chain services, met the late head of the Catholic Church back when he made his pastoral and state visit to the Philippines in 2015. At the time, Lim worked at the Villamor Air Base, managing the ground handling services of the country's flag carrier.
"I came to meet him personally when his flight coming in from Tacloban got [cut] short. So, I was fortunate enough to be part of the reception line that time when the Pope arrived," he told PhilSTAR L!fe.
Lim wanted to give a memento to the Pope, so he had sought advice from his friend, who was a priest.
"I was mentioning to him that, upon the Pope arriving in the Philippines, what is the best souvenir that we have? Pero ang sublime meaning nun is, ano 'yung magiging sign of connection natin as a country during that arrival?" he shared.
He eventually decided to order a zucchetto, a small skullcap worn by Roman Catholic clergy, from Italian tailoring house Gammarelli, which is the official tailor of the Pope.
When the moment came that he was face-to-face with Francis, Lim offered him the zucchetto. But instead of merely accepting the headwear, Francis did something unexpected by offering to exchange it for his own.
"I called him Padre Jorge," Lim recalled, referring to Francis' real name, Jorge Mario Bergoglio. "Sabi ko, 'Padre Jorge, here is a zucchetto that is a gift from the Filipino people working in the airport. Tapos ngumiti siya, sabi niya 'Sì.'
"Tapos kinuha niya, and then sinusukat-sukat niyang ganun. Parang at the back of my mind, I was saying na kasya sa'yo yan. Kung saan ka umoorder, diyan galing 'yan. So confident ako na gagamitin niya. So after that, when we exchanged, 'yung zucchetto na galing Tacloban, 'yun ang binigay niya sa akin. Tapos 'yung binili ko, 'yun 'yung nasa kanya," he added.
When this happened, Lim took it as a sign that Francis really was committed to reaching out to areas most forgotten by the world.
The Pope was the beacon of hope, and we don't have any reason not to go on with our lives.
Feeling blessed and peaceful
Describing what he felt from that encounter, Lim said he felt "blessed and peaceful."
"Even though how much you prepare for that event, even though how much you play that scenario in your mind, if you are in that actual setting already, madi-disarm ka eh. Mayroon siyang disarming aura or persona na parang, 'Oh, is this really God when you're going to meet him? Parang gano'n," he said.
He highlighted how the encounter became a "transformative" moment for him for his faith and spirituality.
"The Pope would always tell us that the Filipinos are missionaries. We have a role to share the Gospel outside of our country. And also, ang nagbago is, 'yung sinasabi natin how we witness Christ in our daily life," Lim said.
The zuchetto that Francis gave the Pinoy now sits "protected in a quiet and secret space" in his family's vault.
"Yung zucchetto would always serve as a symbol of hope and faith sa sarili ko. Every time I feel down, I would just relive the moment when I met the Pope. The Pope was the beacon of hope, and we don't have any reason not to go on with our lives," Lim said.
"Madaling sabihin, mahirap gawin. Pero the mere fact na it's a grace for me, it's a blessing na nakausap ko siya, nahawakan niya ako, doon nalang ako umaankla," he continued.
Message to the Pope
Filipinos mourned when it was announced that Francis had passed away due to a stroke, including Lim.
"I was here in the office. May colleague broke the news to me na, 'Sir, patay na si Pope. Sabi ko, 'Huh?' Napaupo ako doon. With the sudden rush of emotions, sobrang nalungkot ako at may kurot lagi sa puso na I am really fortunate that in my own lifetime, I was able to meet Pope Francis," Lim said.
"I can say I met a living saint with Pope Francis," he added, "At his very last breath, he did try to serve his flock. To be a good shepherd."
If he had a chance to meet the pontiff again for one last time, this is what he would say: "Thank you, Padre Jorge—for teaching us that the Church is a field hospital, that mercy is the first language of love, and that joy is the sign of true faith. Thank you for showing us that holiness is not distant, but within reach—through kindness, service, and humility. May you rest now in the eternal embrace of the One you served so faithfully."
Francis was elected as the successor of Pope Benedict XVI in March 2013.
In his will, he broke tradition as he chose to be a simple burial in the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
In his last will and testament written in June 2022, he said he had "always entrusted my life and my priestly and episcopal ministry to the Mother of Our Lord, Mary Most Holy," so he asked that his mortal remains "rest awaiting the day of resurrection in the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore."
Francis' funeral is set for Saturday, April 26, at 10 a.m. Rome time (4 p.m. in the Philippines).
