...the Asian candidate for Pope

Asia's 'humble' candidate for pope, Cardinal Tagle

 

By Cecil Morella | AFP News

07 March 2013

 

 

 

Reuters/REUTERS - Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle attends a prayer at Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican March 6, 2013. Catholic cardinals said on Tuesday they wanted time to get to know each before choosing the next pope and meanwhile would seek more information on a secret report on alleged corruption in the Vatican. REUTERS/Max Rossi

 

 

Asia's best hope for the papacy, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines, is a young, electric orator who has been outspoken about the need for Catholic Church leaders to be more open and humble.

 

Born to a working-class couple in a then-rural town two hours' drive south of the Philippine capital, Tagle rose to become Archbishop of Manila in 2011 at the age of just 54.

He was named a cardinal in November last year, becoming the official chief spiritual leader to the Philippines' more than 80 million Catholics.

This came shortly after Tagle was summoned to Rome for a synod to map out the way forward for the Church, which has been rocked by scandals over sexual abuse by paedophile priests going back decades.

"The Church must learn humility from Jesus," Tagle said in a speech to the synod, arguing that spreading the faith in a secularising world would be more effective if the Church learned to listen to the people.

"(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," he said according to an account of the speech by Vatican Radio.

At another Vatican conference last year, Tagle urged the Church in Asia to tackle the sex abuse issue before it became a full-blown crisis there, and put in place safeguard measures that take into account the region's cultural norms.

Tagle, 55, is widely regarded as enthralling speaker, eloquent and with a soothing voice.

He has refused to discuss his chances for the papacy but, at a public seminar in Manila last month, said Church leaders needed to do a better job of reaching out to people within their communities, particularly the youth.

"The young want to be connected," Tagle said at the forum.

"That is the basic of the faith -- (to be) connected to God, connected to others, to the Church. We need to go back to that fundamental."

Tagle showed remarkable empathy, discipline and intellect as a boy, according to one of his mentors, Father Romeo Ner, 72.

"He was always number one in school. He was very interested in helping the poor even at a young age, and he was very close to the Church," Ner told AFP.

"I was amazed because he knew how to recite the rosary and all of its mysteries when he was just three."

Tagle is well known in the Philippines for not riding in his official car when he was a bishop, chatting with all comers after mass, and even regularly inviting beggars to dine with him at his residence.

Ner said that as a young priest, Tagle was involved in raising money for parishes that served poor areas, where he developed a taste for braised chicken feet -- a staple in the slums.

"Giving the poor their true dignity is his passion. He loves them," said Ner, who as then vicar general of Tagle's hometown was instrumental in making him one of the country's youngest bishops in 2001.

 

...the next potential popes

Cardinal Tagle in Reuters list of potential popes

 

By Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor

published in abs-cbnnews.com

02/11/2013  

 

 

 

PARIS - With Pope Benedict's stunning announcement that he will resign later this month, the time may be coming for the Roman Catholic Church to elect its first non-European leader and it could be a Latin American.

The region already represents 42 percent of the world's 1.2 billion-strong Catholic population, the largest single block in the Church, compared to 25 percent in its European heartland.

After the Pole John Paul and German-born Benedict, the post once reserved for Italians is now open to all. Who gets the nod depends on the profile of the new pope that the cardinals who elect him at the next conclave think will guide the Church best.

Two senior Vatican officials recently dropped surprisingly clear hints about possible successors. The upshot of their remarks is that the next pope could well be from Latin America.

"I know a lot of bishops and cardinals from Latin America who could take responsibility for the universal Church," said Archbishop Gerhard Mueller, who now holds the pope's old post as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

"The universal Church teaches that Christianity isn't centred on Europe," the German-born archbishop told Duesseldorf's Rheinische Post newspaper just before Christmas.

Swiss Cardinal Kurt Koch, head of the Vatican department for Christian unity, told the Tagesanzeiger daily in Zurich at the same time that the Church's future was not in Europe.

"It would be good if there were candidates from Africa or South America at the next conclave," he said, referring to the closed-door election in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel.

Asked if he would vote for a non-European over a European candidate if they were equally qualified, he responded: "Yes."

If the next conclave really is Latin America's turn, the leading candidates there seem to be Odilo Scherer, archbishop of the huge diocese of Sao Paolo, or the Italian-Argentine Leonardo Sandri, now heading the Vatican department for Eastern Churches.

Peter Turkson from Ghana, now head of the Vatican's justice and peace department, is often tipped as Africa's frontrunner.

About half the cardinals who can vote are from Europe, even though only a quarter of the world's Catholics live there. If the conclave tilts to the Old Continent, Vatican watchers say Angelo Scola of Milan is in pole position.

Vienna Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, a former student and close ally of Benedict, is also considered a strong candidate.

FRONTRUNNERS FOR NOW

While there are no official candidates, here are "papabili" (potential popes) the most frequently mentioned recently. The list is in alphabetical, not in order of their chances, and will probably change between now and when the conclave is held, most likely in March.


- Joao Braz de Aviz (Brazil, 65) brought fresh air to the Vatican department for religious congregations when he took over in 2011. He supports the preference for the poor in Latin America's liberation theology, but not the excesses of its advocates. Possible drawbacks include his low profile.

- Timothy Dolan, (USA, 62) became the voice of U.S. Catholicism after being named archbishop of New York in 2009. His humour and dynamism have impressed the Vatican, where both are often missing. But cardinals are wary of a "superpower pope" and his back-slapping style may be too American for some.

- Marc Ouellet (Canada, 68) is effectively the Vatican's top staff director as head of the Congregation for Bishops. He once said becoming pope "would be a nightmare." Though well connected within the Curia, the widespread secularism of his native Quebec could work against him.

- Gianfranco Ravasi (Italy, 70) has been Vatican culture minister since 2007 and represents the Church to the worlds of art, science, culture and even to atheists. This profile could hurt him if cardinals decide they need an experienced pastor rather than another professor as pope.

 

- Leonardo Sandri (Argentina, 69) is a "transatlantic" figure born in Buenos Aires to Italian parents. He held the third-highest Vatican post as its chief of staff in 2000-2007. But he has no pastoral experience and his job overseeing eastern churches is not a power position in Rome.

- Odilo Pedro Scherer (Brazilia, 63) ranks as Latin America's strongest candidate. Archbishop of Sao Paolo, largest diocese in the largest Catholic country, he is conservative in his country but would rank as a moderate elsewhere. The rapid growth of Protestant churches in Brazil could count against him.

- Christoph Schoenborn (Austria, 67) is a former student of Pope Benedict with a pastoral touch the pontiff lacks. The Vienna archbishop has ranked as papal material since editing the Church catechism in the 1990s. But some cautious reform stands and strong dissent by some Austrian priests could hurt him.

- Angelo Scola (Italy, 71) is archbishop of Milan, a springboard to the papacy, and is many Italians' bet to win. An expert on bioethics, he also knows Islam as head of a foundation to promote Muslim-Christian understanding. His dense oratory could put off cardinals seeking a charismatic communicator.

- Luis Tagle (Philippines, 55) has a charisma often compared to that of the late Pope John Paul. He is also close to Pope Benedict after working with him at the International Theological Commission. While he has many fans, he only became a cardinal in 2012 and conclaves are wary of young candidates.

- Peter Turkson (Ghana, 64) is the top African candidate. Head of the Vatican justice and peace bureau, he is spokesman for the Church's social conscience and backs world financial reform. He showed a video criticising Muslims at a recent Vatican synod, raising doubts about how he sees Islam. (Additional reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by Giles Elgood)

 

...the 2nd Filipino saint

Philippines celebrates canonisation of saint

By Philip C. Tubeza in Manila/Philippine Daily Inquirer |
Asia News Network
21 October 2012

Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - As thousands of Filipino Catholics troop to Rome, millions more across the Philippines are gearing up to celebrate the canonization of the country's second saint, a missionary killed 340 years ago who is being promoted as a youth hero.

The Catholic faithful are expected to gather in different church events as the nation's major television networks broadcast live Sunday's ceremony at the Vatican during which Pedro Calungsod, who was hacked to death while trying to convert locals on the Pacific island of Guam, will be made a saint.

Pope Benedict XVI will formally raise Calungsod to the altar.

According to the church website sanpedrocalungsod.com, more than 1,000 young people from across Metro Manila will gather at the Sto. Nino de Tondo Parish in Manila from 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday to watch the canonization.

Around 600 young people are also expected to gather at the Good Shepherd Cathedral Covered Court in Novaliches while the Federation of National Youth Organization (FNYO) will also celebrate the event in Makati.

Dubbed "Pedro at Ako," the FNYO event will be held at the Savio Dome of Don Bosco Technical Institute-Makati from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

In Cebu, the Commission on Youth of the Archdiocese and the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue have invited Catholics to watch a live telecast of the events in Rome.

The gathering, which includes a drama on the life of the second Filipino saint, talks and trivia games, will be held at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex.

5,000 Filipino pilgrims

About 5,000 Filipino pilgrims are expected to accompany the Philippines' Roman Catholic Church leaders to the Vatican for the ceremony.

Vice President Jejomar Binay, who arrived Friday in Rome, will lead the Filipinos who will witness the canonization of Calungsod.

Binay was designated by President Aquino to head the official Philippine delegation to the ceremony.

He will attend the Holy Mass at Saint Peter's Square that will signal the start of the canonization rites for Calungsod and six others.

Calungsod is the second Filipino saint after St. Lorenzo Ruiz who was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1987.

A procession of the new saint's icons will be held at the Basilica of Santa Pudenziana later in the evening.

"The presence of the thousands of Filipinos here and the millions more around the world who are eagerly awaiting Blessed Calungsod's canonization as the second Filipino saint reaffirms our faith as a nation. I hope his dedication and sacrifice will serve as an example for the Filipino youth to emulate," Binay said in a statement released by his office in Manila.

At home, devotees have begun flocking to Ginatilan on the central island of Cebu, a small farming town that claims Calungsod as its own, while saint souvenirs have become popular items across the nation.

Wood carvers were reporting an increase in the demand for statues of the would-be saint, according to a report on the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) website.

1,000 statues a week

"There are many orders coming from different provinces ... from old and new clients," said Kevin Cagayat, whose father Justino was commissioned by the Jesuits to carve the official statue of Calungsod.

The statues, ranging from eight inches (worth 350 pesos or US$8) to four-feet tall (40,000 pesos or $960), are made of either resin or wood.

"Since August, high demands and orders forced us to produce around 100 statues a week," Cagayat added.

"Also, in times like this where the demand is very high and there are rush orders, we also outsource workers to do the carving and finishing touches," he added.

Limited edition stamps

The Philippine Postal Corp. (PHLPost) will also inaugurate a stamp at the Edsa Shrine in honor of Calungsod during the noontime Mass on Sunday.

"The single stamp design illustrates Blessed Pedro holding a palm leaf on his left hand and his right hand at the chest signifying his deep Roman Catholic faith.

On the right side is the missionary route to the Marianas Island," PHLPost said in a statement.

The postal service said it was issuing 50,000 of the "limited edition" stamps worth 9 pesos each. They will be available from Oct. 22 to Oct. 20 next year at selected post offices nationwide.

Those interested could also call the PHLPost postage and philatelic department at 527-01-32.

"There is something about him that touches the heart of the Filipino Catholics," Fr. Francis Lucas, a media officer with the CBCP, told Agence France-Presse.

Calungsod will be made a patron saint for young people, partly in recognition of his age-believed to be just 17-when killed in 1672.

According to the official account of his short life, hostile tribesmen hacked Calungsod and a Jesuit priest he was assisting to death in Guam where they were trying to convert locals to the Catholic faith.

He qualified for sainthood last year after the Vatican officially recognized a 2002 "miracle" in which a woman in the Philippines already declared dead from a heart attack was revived after a doctor prayed to Calungsod for help.

The Philippines is regarded as Asia's bastion of Catholicism, with 80 percent of the population adherents to the faith, thanks to more than three centuries of Spanish rule that began in the 1500s.

Migrant workers' saint

Calungsod will become only the second Filipino to be canonized after Lorenzo Ruiz, another missionary, who was killed in Japan in 1637 and made a saint in 1987.

Lucas said Calungsod's youthfulness and travel to a foreign land held special resonance in the Philippines, where the average age is 24 and 10 percent of the population have gone abroad to work.

"We consider him to be a saint of migrant workers because he went abroad to represent the Philippines," Lucas said.

The church has sought to maximize Calungsod's appeal to young people with an Internet campaign that includes a website showcasing his life and featuring music videos, as well as a social media drive.

One Facebook site on Calungsod has more than 8,000 "likes" and streams of positive comments, as well as appeals to him for help.

"Dear Saint Pedro, please take care of my good friend Julie who is fighting cancer," one comment on the page said.

Although Calungsod's birthplace is unknown, he is listed as coming from the central Philippines and Ginatilan residents point to the many people surnamed "Calungsod" who have lived in the town over the centuries.

"We have death records, marriage records and birth records ... so we believe, 80 percent, that he is from our town," Ginatilan Mayor Antonio Singco told Agence France-Presse.

Parish worker Salvi Cadungo, 56, said the link to Calungsod was a major source of pride, comfort and hope to residents who largely make their living growing coconut, bananas and corn.

"We are all so happy here. We are a small town in a corner of the Philippines, but now everyone knows we produced a saint," she said.

With reports from AFP and Jerome Aning

COPYRIGHT: ASIA NEWS NETWORK

...the women's advocate

Pinay advocate of women's rights receives Holy Cross medal from pope

 

July 9, 2012

GMA News

 

A Filipina advocating women’s rights and dignity has been awarded the Holy Cross Pro-Ecclesia et Pontifice medal by Pope Benedict XVI.

In a news report on its website, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines said the award was conferred on Dr. Zenaida Rotea at the Santa Maria Goretti Parish in Manila.

 

The medal is given to lay people and clergy who have given zealous and outstanding service to the Church.
 

CBCP president and Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma and Marbel Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez led the awarding ceremony.

 

“Rotea has worked for many years as a volunteer and leader on women empowerment and a former executive secretary of the CBCP’s Office on Women which is at the forefront of the church’s campaign against the exploitation of women,” the CBCP said.

 

According to the CBCP, Rotea served in the Catholic Women’s League (CWL) of the Philippines as an active member for 28 years.

She also served as its president from 1996 to 2000.

 

During Rotea’s term, the CWL adopted a national action program that established women’s desks in the dioceses for counseling victims of violence, rape, incest and sexual harassment.

 

The CWL also organized seminars and meetings focusing on legal literacy, family code, illegal recruitment, poverty alleviation, skills training, and cooperatives.

 

Rotea in 2000 led the formation of the Catholic Initiative for Enlightened Movie Appreciation (CINEMA), which promoted discerning appreciation of film according to Christian values. - VVP, GMA News

...the Holy See awardee

PH envoy receives Holy See Award from Vatican

 

ABS-CBNnews.com

05/29/2012

 

 

MANILA, Philippines – The Vatican has conferred the Holy See Award with the Order of Pius IX, Class of Dame to Philippine Ambassador Mercedes Tuason last May 23.

 

 

 

 

The Holy Chief of Protocol, Monsignor Fortunatus Nwachukwu, assisted by Monsignor Guillermo Javier Karcher, 1st Class Attaché of the Secretariat of State, presented the award to Ambassador Tuason during the awarding ceremonies held at the Vatican Apostolic Palace.

 

In his remarks, Monsignor Nwachukwu said that His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI has decided to give the award to Tuason for her "significant contributions in the advancement of bilateral relations between the Holy See and the Philippines". The award is signed by His Eminence Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone, Secretary of State of the Holy See.

 

Tuason was accompanied by Deputy Chief of Mission and Consul General Danilo Ibayan, Executive Assistant and Confidential Secretary to the Ambassador Josephine Bantug, and Father Jess Dajac, Filipino Roman Catholic priest of the Congregazione Clericale Missionariedella Fede.

 

The Order of Pius IX, also known as the Pian Order, is a Papal order of knighthood founded on 17 June 1847 by Pope Pius IX.

 

Although the Pontifical Orders of Knighthood of the Holy See were originally founded and available for giving honors to gentlemen only, the Holy See Secretariat of State in November 1993 issued instructions that the Pontifical Orders of Pius IX, Saint Gregory the Great, and of Pope Saint Sylvester were also open for awarding to ladies.

 

Living recipients of the higher ranks of the Order of Pius IX include H.E. Giorgio Napolitano, President of the Italian Republic, H.M. King Juan Carlos I of Spain, and H.M. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.

---

...the 2nd Filipino 'saint'

Blessed Pedro Calungsod to be declared 2nd Filipino saint

By Shielo Mendoza

Yahoo! Southeast Asia Newsroom

 

 

 

A poster depicting Pedro Calungsod hangs on the facade of St. Peter's square.

 

The Vatican announced Tuesday that Blessed Pedro Calungsod of Cebu will be canonized as a saint for the Roman Catholic Church.

Once canonized, he will be the second Filipino Catholic saint following Saint Lorenzo Ruiz, who was elevated to sainthood in 1987.

According to Vatican’s news site, Pope Benedict XVI has officially approved the promulgation of decrees for canonization of Calungsod and six others who have been said to have performed miracles. No definite date, however, has been set for the canonization rites.

The authorized miracle of Blessed Pedro Calungsod reportedly happened in 2003 at a Cebu hospital when a woman who was clinically pronounced dead for two hours was allegedly brought back to life through the intercession of Calungsod.

A young martyr
Calungsod, together with companion Blessed Diego San Vitores, was killed while doing missionary work in Guam in 1672. He was 17 years old then. Through their missionary efforts, many were converted to the Roman Catholic Church through the Sacrament of Baptism.

A plot to murder Calungsod and San Vitores started through false accusations that the missionaries were spreading poison through the ritual of the pouring of water or baptism. They were both caught and murdered after baptizing a mother and her child.

Because of his association with the Chamorro natives of Guam, Calungsod is often portrayed with a crucifix and a palm leaf.

Calungsod, who was described by Vatican as a lay catechist and a martyr, was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2000.

The other six candidates for canonization together with Calungsod are: Blessed Giovanni Battista Piamarta, Italian priest and founder of the Congregation of the Holy Family of Nazareth and of the Congregation of the Humble Sister Servants of the Lord; Blessed Jacques Berthieu, French martyr and priest of the Society of Jesus; Blessed Maria del Carmen, Spanish foundress of the Conceptionist Missionary Sisters of Teaching; Blessed Maria Anna Cope, German religious of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in Syracuse; Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, American laywoman; and Blessed Anna Schaffer, German laywoman.

...the Benemerenti awardee

Pope confers awards on Filipinos

By ROY C. MABASA

August 5, 2011

Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines — Pope Benedict XVI has conferred the Benemerenti awards on two Filipinos residing in the United States in recognition to their long and exceptional service to the Catholic Church, their families and community.

According to the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, Pope Benedict XVI conferred the Benemerenti awards on Titus Verzosa and Nellie Hizon.

Instituted by Pope Leo XIII in 1891, the Benemerenti medal ranks second after the Cross Pro Ecclesia  et Pontifice and is bestowed upon Catholic men and women who have rendered significant service to the Church and society.

The Benemerenti is a gold Greek cross depicting the image of Christ, his hand raised in blessing. On the left of the transverse arm of the cross is a depiction of the tiara and crossed keys, and to the right is the sheilf of the current Pope and his motto. On the reverse is the word Benemerenti, which means "good merit" and the ribbon is made of Papal colors, yellow and white.

According to accessible records, only t75 individuals received the award from 1949 to the present. Verzosa, a resident of Fresno, California, received the medal for his 17 years of dedicated service and leadership as a choir director, finance council member and a coordinator of several fund-raising events for St. Mary Queen of Apostles parish.

The medal and the accompanying certificate from the Holy See were presented to him last February 20 during a Sunday mass by the parish priest, Fr. Timothy N. Cardoza.