The “viral” smile of the growing Asian Church and one of the favorites to become a pope
One of the candidates to become the next Pope and occupies the first positions for public opinion and even for the IA, is Cardinal Filipino Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle. Manila emeritus archbishop Incorporates a moderate voice, taking care of receiving homosexuals or immigrants, but above all a bridge a AsiaOne of the most flourishing regions for the Catholic Church.
Although located in the Curia reformist wing, Viola criticized hardly Practices such as euthanasia Or the abortion law in your country, and in the last few weeks it has been at the top of the “papal” bets for the next conclave, especially in social networks.
Tagle (Manila, 1957) represents the large Catholic country of Asia, the Philippines, the third of the planet with a greater number of baptized in communion with RomeOver 80 million souls, a reality that gives Viola an evident weight among its colleagues. However, in 2019, he left the immense diocese of Manila, with over three million faithful, to travel to Rome and wear under orders of Francisco In the Roman Curia.
Of aristocratic origins and Spanish ancestors, Tagle lived his childhood in the city of Imus and, three years after ordering priest on February 27, 1982 he moved to the United States to the doctorate With the utmost praise In theology in Washington. Then he returned to his country but soon his own intellectual skills and speakers The doors of the Holy See was opened: in 1997 John Paul II appointed him a member of the International Theological Commission, the power of the powerful congregation of the doctrine of faith.
Five years later, in 2001, his Episcopal management As bishop of Imus and in 2011 Benedict XVI went up to him as an influential archbishop of Manila. The German Pope also appointed him Cardinal in November 2012, in his latest town hall before his historical resignation, but Tagle kept his ascending career in the age of Francisco, presenting himself to his teaching based on solidarity and welcome.
The “Bergoglio Asia”
Known as “Bergoglio Asian“His role in the Curia began in 2019 as a prefect of the Congregation for the evangelization of peoples, while between 2015 and 2022 he also held the presidency of Caritas Internationalis.
In their public interventions it has been shown Very hard with abortioncontraceptive practices or abuse by the clergy, as well as with the intransigent position that the Church has traditionally shown with homosexual or divorced. In 2015, in an interview a The telegraphHe recognized that the “hard” and “serious” position of the Catholic clergy against homosexuals or, for example, had caused single mothers “Durable damage“.
Likewise, Cardinal Taggle embodies, above all, the Interest of the modern Church in the young AsiaTo whom Francisco, like good Jesuit, gave great importance (one of his latest travels, the longest, went to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor Est and Singapore).
Asia and Oceania are a young and fertile territory in which faith grows every year, in the face of the negative trend of Europe’s most secularized and North America. So much so that, according to an annual report of the FIDES Agency, of the missionaries, the Asian Catholics increased by 889,000while those of Oceania in 123,000. It is the third most prosperous region for the VaticanBehind Africa and the entire American continent.
Impact on social networks
The cardinal is also very attentive to communication and, therefore, to the new media e social networkHis apparitions are frequent on the national television Filippina. The vehement of tagle calls against systems according to the greed and exploitation They resonate in the last few days on social networks such as TiktokIn particular, his speech to the international Eucharistic Congress of the Canadian city of Quebec in 2008.
“How many workers will see a decent salary sacrificed to the God of the benefit? How many women will be sacrificed to the God of domination? How many children are sacrificed to the god of lust? How many trees, rivers or hills are sacrificed to the God of progress? How many poor are sacrificed to the god of greed? “He asked in front of the public.
Tagle has reached thousands of young people and network users in different ways. Some of them, thanks to a video that becomes viral in which the religious appears Dance smiling In a small performance in church and in other images where the song sings Imagine From John Lennonmoments that aroused the sympathy of the population.
