The point of view of one voting Cardinal which wasn't expressed in these days, but was reported at the Synod of Bishops on Evangelization in October last year, came from the Cardinal Archbishop of Manila, Luis Antonio Tagle. Among the hundreds of comments made at that Synod, many of them forgettable, his have remained unforgettable. He said, briefly, that the Church of the time to come must be "more simple, more humble, with a more developed capacity for silence."

I'm struck by his choice of these three qualities. I think I know what he means when he speaks of the Church needing to have a more developed capacity for silence.

This capacity for contemplative silence is a particularly positive feature of Christianity in Asian cultures and countries. It's a capacity to be still, to watch contemplatively, to reflect, to welcome the thoughts of others, to pause before acting. It comes from a soul at peace, and it shows itself in quiet joy. I've found this particularly in the Cathedral in Singapore on a Sunday Mass. I've frequently noticed that visitors to the Church have been moved to tears at these celebrations of Word and Eucharist.

I've got no bets on anyone in particular who may emerge as our next Pope, and to be honest, I'm not particularly worried about who it might be.

But I am passionately interested in what the Church might become under the Pope's leadership.

I would love to see our Church becoming simpler, humbler, and more capable of silence.

Fr Craig Larkin is a New Zealand priest who lives in Rome

The 55-year-old Archbishop of Manila, who will receive his red hat from Pope Benedict XVI on November 24, has a Facebook page with 100,000 fans and his YouTube commentaries on the Sunday readings go viral each week.

Continue reading

While new cases of HIV/Aids are decreasing globally, Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle said they are increasing in the Philippines, with an average of nine reported each day.

"What is alarming is that the 20 to 29 year-old age group has had the most number of cases," he said.

A pastoral letter issued last year by the Catholic bishops' conference said Church workers, seminarians and the clergy must be equipped with basic knowledge of Aids "to bring hope, healing and reconciliation to those vulnerable".

The archdiocese of Manila has organised two workshop sessions on HIV/Aids, a two-day session for priests and religious, and a one-day session for seminarians and lay people.

They will be conducted by Monsignor Robert Vitillo, the special adviser on HIV and Aids for Caritas Internationalis.

During an international conference on Aids in Washington, DC, in July, Monsignor Vitillo said the alarming spread of HIV in the Philippines must be addressed with an approach that puts human dignity and responsibility first.

He said critics portrayed the Church's ethical teachings as a set of "conservative" taboos, but they offered the only authentic solution to the epidemic in a country where infection rates have dramatically risen.

"The teaching of the Catholic Church with regard to sexual activity is relevant and valid for all persons," he said. "This teaching should be received and understood in the context of responsible personal relationships and not simply as a public health instruction for one or other population group.

"I have no doubt about the wisdom of Catholic Church teaching in this regard," he stressed, noting that these principles "have been confirmed by public health evidence" in several countries.

Sources:

UCA News

Catholic News Agency

Image: UN News Centre