Mass after mass, vigil after vigil
Catholics throughout the Philippines flocked to churches for days following the death of Pope Francis
In one of the world's most fervently Christian nations, he touched the hearts of millions
especially with his trip to the city of Tacloban in 2015, as people were still reeling from the devastation wrought by super typhoon Haiyan
We were touched when Pope Francis went to the grassroots, especially his fearless trip to Tacloban
Many people told him, don't go, don't go, don't go, but get stuck there. He said, no, I will go
But his progressive views and embrace of marginalized people, including divorcees and members of the LGBT community
appear to be at odds with the conservative values the Catholic Church in the Philippines has been advocating
A divorce bill is languishing in the Senate, despite the lower house passing it twice
and this is in no small part due to intense opposition from Catholic organizations
The Philippines remains the only country in the world, apart from the Vatican, where divorce is outlawed
Getting a bill mandating free access to sexual health services and contraceptives for Filipinos signed into law was also an uphill battle that took nearly a decade and a half to finalize
And more recently, a proposal to require sex education sparked outrage. Filipino Catholics who are on the opposite side of the fence to the church establishment
say they found hope in Pope Francis. He opened the door so that now people will be more accepting of what the Catholic Church is offering them
But many of those who remain unquestioning of the conservative stances of the Philippine Catholic leadership
also want the Pope in the mold of Francis. You know the Filipinos. We do not think in terms of who is liberal or who is conservative
I think we tend to view a religious leader in terms of family relations
So what was the nickname we gave to Pope Francis? Lolo Kiko, Grandfather Kiko, Grandpa Kiko
Pope Francis didn't change a single word in the Catholic doctrine. But observers say his open and inclusive approach may not be universally accepted
And cardinals choosing the next pope may just be as divided about the way forward
as everyone else around the world. Barnabulo, Al Jazeera, Manila