Kris Aquino amazed by Fr. Luciano Felloni

Fr. Luciano Felloni’s profile photo in his official Twitter account

MANILA, Philippines—Awed by his love for the Philippines and nearly flawless knowledge in speaking colloquial Filipino, Kris Aquino expressed her admiration for the good-looking Argentine missionary Fr. Luciano Felloni.

“Sya ang gusto kong pari (He’s my kind of priest),” Aquino said Thursday night during the interview with Fr. Felloni on “Aquino & Abunda,” the primetime talk show she’s co-hosting with Boy Abunda.

Fr. Felloni has been interviewed many times by the local media since the former Buenos Aires Archbishop Jorge Mario Cardinal Bergoglio became Pope.

Pope Francis arrived in the country Thursday afternoon for a five-day visit.

Fr. Felloni said he has been based in the Philippines for more than 20 years. As parish priest, he was once assigned in Payatas dumpsite in Quezon City and recently in Novaliches.

Aquino and Abunda were amazed that as a seminarian in Buenos Aires, Fr. Fellino used to ride a bus a lot with Archbishop Bergoglio.

“Because even if he was Archbishop, he took public transportation. He always waited for the bus in front of the seminary where I was studying. So we were frequent passengers. And I used to confess to him a lot,” Fr. Felloni said in flawless Filipino.

He said he was very surprised when Fr. Bergoglio became Pope.

“As what I’ve known about him, he was a simple, very humble man. He’s not the type who would accept a bigger responsibility and become popular like a Pope,” he added.

Yet, he said Fr. Bergoglio has always been courageously vocal to criticize the wrongdoings of corrupt Argentine government officials, including whoever was the President at a particular time.

“He is like (Jaime) Cardinal Sin. He fights for the people’s rights,” Fr. Felloni said with a smile, referring to the deceased Archbishop of the Philippines who was one of the main figures in the historic Edsa People Power Revolution.

Shifting the topic on Fr. Felloni, Aquino and Abunda asked him how long he intends to stay in the Philippines.

Fr. Felloni said he is already applying for Filipino citizenship.

“I will stay here until I die. I love the Philippines,” he said.

“Oh di ba? ‘Yan ang gusto kong pari. (So you see? That’s the kind of priest I like). Kaya pray pray pray lang tayo. Be good always,” Aquino said before wrapping up the show.

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