Among the six new cardinals nominated yesterday, Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila has earned more than his share of fame (or notoriety) since his appointment to the Archdiocese of Manila a little more than a year ago.
Tagle is one of the few prelates who is uniformly hailed by both the liberal and conservative wings of the international Catholic media for his ideas, his charisma and his speaking prowess, most of all during the current Synod and in this year's Eucharistic Congress in Ireland.
This disciple of the Bologna School, who declared during his installation homily that Catholics and non-Catholics have but one mission and "must not compete against each other to get the better portion of the catch," has since then gone to ever-greater heights of popularity as one of the stars of the "new evangelization," if not as papabile.
Tagle is one of the few prelates who is uniformly hailed by both the liberal and conservative wings of the international Catholic media for his ideas, his charisma and his speaking prowess, most of all during the current Synod and in this year's Eucharistic Congress in Ireland.
This disciple of the Bologna School, who declared during his installation homily that Catholics and non-Catholics have but one mission and "must not compete against each other to get the better portion of the catch," has since then gone to ever-greater heights of popularity as one of the stars of the "new evangelization," if not as papabile.
Speaking of the new evangelization, what does Archbishop Tagle think should be the way forward for the Church?
The Church of Asia is often a minority Church, like John the Baptist crying in the wilderness…..even in the Philippines, if the Church is a majority, I realise that the sufferings of people and the difficult questions they ask are an invitation to be first in solidarity with them, not to pretend we have all the solutions….they can resonate and see the concrete face of God in a Church that can be silent with them, as confused as they are….it becomes a home for them…..
I believe the Church should contribute in the public square but we in Asia are very particular about the mode…..so you may be saying the right things but people will not listen if the manner by which you communicate reminds them of a triumphalistic, know-it-all institution…..I know that in some parts of Asia the relative silence, calmness of the Church is interpreted as timidity, but I say no – it makes the Church more credible….”
This, in turn, echoes the speech that he gave during the third general congregation of the Synod of Bishops, on October 9, 2012. The following is the official summary (see HERE) provided on the Vatican website:
A young girl asked: “Are we the youth lost or has the Church lost us?”. Her question expresses a longing for a Church where she can be found by Jesus and where she can find Him. But for the Church to be the “space” of a faith-encounter with the Lord, she must learn anew from Jesus in whom we meet God.
The Church must learn humility from Jesus. God's power and might appears in the self-emptying of the Son, in the love that is crucified but truly saves because it is emptied of self for the sake of others.
The Church is called to follow Jesus' respect for every human person. He defended the dignity of all people, in particular those neglected and despised by the world. Loving His enemies, He affirmed their dignity.
The Church must discover the power of silence. Confronted with the sorrows, doubts and uncertainties of people she cannot pretend to give easy solutions. In Jesus, silence becomes the way of attentive listening, compassion and prayer. It is the way to truth.
The seemingly indifferent and aimless societies of our time are earnestly looking for God. The Church's humility, respectfulness and silence might reveal more clearly the face of God in Jesus. The world takes delight in a simple witness to Jesus- meek and humble of heart.
