- Published on Saturday, 01 December 2012 19:59
- Written by Rev. Harold Parilla / Professor, Saint John Vianney Theological School Cagayan de Oro City
WITH
all the pomp and solemnity of a consistory held inside the Basilica of
Saint Peter in Rome, His Grace, Luis Antonio G. Tagle, archbishop of
Manila, was formally elevated to the College of Cardinals. Certainly for
those who have met him up close, the event simultaneously elicits the
feelings of pride and concern; pride, because his elevation is an
affirmation somehow of what is good about us, of what is admirable about
the Church in the Philippines, and concern, because of the enormous
task and expectations that come along with it.
More than just a
personal honor to Archbishop Tagle, to his family and close associates,
his elevation to the College of Cardinals positions him in a symbolic
yet potent sense as the primary and most eloquent voice of the Church in
the Philippines. As he assumes this role, perhaps many of us who know a
bit of him, on the one hand, and who are to some extent immersed into
the sociopolitical and ecclesial realities of the country, on the other,
wonder, either aloud or in prayer, about his eventual impact and
contribution. What can Archbishop Tagle offer to the Church in the
Philippines now that he has been placed, not without hesitation on his
part and with genuine humility, in a situation of immense influence and
responsibility?
Those
of us who were privileged to have Archbishop Tagle as teacher know well
of the clarity of his thoughts and elegance of his words. That he is a
first-class communicator is a given, a matter that is by now recognized
even in international ecclesiastical circles. He does not just talk; he
tells stories and draws people to identify with them.
The recent Synod of
Bishops on Evangelization, however, highlights yet another dimension of
his person and brand of leadership, in one intervention that is reported
to have resonated deeply in the hearts of the Synod Fathers, Archbishop
Tagle spoke about the need for a listening Church, the need for a
humble Church that admits to the dearth of answers to many of our
contemporary questions. He shows us that evangelization is not just a
matter of imparting a teaching and assuming a stance of omniscience. He
makes us understand that preaching the Word of God presumes a lot of
listening at the same time, on the streets and marketplaces, and on our
bended knees. In a manner that appeals to the secular mind, he reminds
us that there is so much beauty to see, and so much truth and goodness
to discover, in a world and context that are often painted
pessimistically. As he leads a Church that listens, the ambivalently
articulated voices of young people, rightly identified as the bearers of
the future, will presumably gain adequate hearing and genuine
understanding.
Those who know
Archbishop Tagle as a student speak of him as “a figure of intelligence
and learning.” That the quality of his mind rivals that of the best and
the brightest our race has ever produced can be affirmed without having
to apologize for exaggeration. His natural affinity to languages is
outstanding. He speaks French and Italian with facility and ease to the
envy of us who spent years learning just the basics. The output of a
listening heart paired with a brilliant mind needs no further
elaboration. A naturally gifted mind, trained in the intricacies of
philosophy and theology, tempered and honed by a compassionate and
listening heart, will presumably pierce through the complexity of issues
and concerns that haunts the Church today, and judge correctly.
Finally, those who
know Archbishop Tagle as a person describe him as one who walks his
talk. When he speaks about simplicity, friends and associates remember
him commuting from Imus, Cavite, to Quezon City and back to accomplish
his teaching chores, shunning the comforts of private transport, when he
mentions the poor, the sick, those in the margins of society, stories
about him volunteering in the facility of Mother Teresa in Washington,
D.C., keeping vigil as patients with AIDS expire, verify all the more
the credibility that spontaneously radiates from him. He makes us
imagine a shepherd who leads by personal witness and whose credibility
prods us on, gently, to do better ourselves.
Listening, brilliance
and witnessing: these, and still more, make us hopeful about the person
of Archbishop Tagle and the direction to which his leadership will take
the Church in the Philippines. As he receives the red hat from the old
but steady hands of the Holy Father, may our pride and concern for him
trickle down to our own transformation. The hope that Archbishop Tagle
rekindles will come to fruition only when the flock hears the voice and
follows the lead of the shepherd.
The Reverend Parilla,
of the Tagbilaran diocese (Bohol), is professor of Canon Law and
Systematic Theology at Saint John Vianney Theological School in Cagayan
de Oro City. He is an honors graduate of Loyola School of Theology,
Ateneo de Manila University, where Cardinal Tagle also pursued his
earlier theological studies. Father Parilla completed with honors his
graduate degree studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome.
In Photo: Newly
appointed Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle (right), archbishop of Manila,
receives the red three-cornered biretta hat as he is elevated to
cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI during a consistory inside Saint Peter’s
Basilica at the Vatican on November 24. (AP)
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