It began with the publication of the new Vatican constitution, Praedicate evangelium, on March 19, 2022.

Up to then, the Filipino cardinal had served as the prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, the powerful curial department responsible for mission territories whose head is known as "the red pope."

(The appointment of New Zealand's bishops is made through the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples. Ed.)

Tagle had arrived at the Vatican in 2020 in a blaze of publicity after eight years as the Archbishop of Manila.

He was known as "the Asian Francis," a charismatic speaker and servant of the poor often described as "papabile" despite his relative youth.

But in 2022, a new Vatican constitution absorbed the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples — formerly known as Propaganda Fide — into a new department, the Dicastery for Evangelisation, led directly by Pope Francis.

The department's day-to-day activities would be overseen "in his name and by his authority" by two "pro-prefects."

One pro-prefect would be responsible for the dicastery's first section, devoted to "fundamental questions regarding evangelisation in the world," and the other for the second section, "for the first evangelisation and new particular churches."

The dicastery was listed first among the Vatican departments in Praedicate evangelium, underlining its centrality in the reformed curia.

Observers assumed that Tagle would be pro-prefect of the second section. But curiosity grew when the Vatican failed to refer to the Filipino cardinal by that title.

In a press release days after the new constitution's publication, the Holy See press office described Tagle as the prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples.

That was probably because the constitution only came into full force on June 5 that year.

But in July, the press office mentioned Tagle without giving a title.

That happened again in October and December.

It did the same for Archbishop Salvatore Rino Fisichella, who was widely believed to be pro-prefect of the dicastery's first section.

Speculation over Tagle's standing at the Vatican heightened in November 2022 when Pope Francis swept away the leadership of Caritas Internationalis, including Tagle, who had served as its president since 2015.

Had the cardinal fallen out of favour?

Not according to official Vatican media, which presented Tagle as one of the figures responsible for the organisation's renewal, rather than a casualty of the changes.

Only on Jan. 27 this year did the Holy See press office confirm what most people had originally thought: Tagle was indeed a pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelisation.

On Feb. 18, the press office indicated that he was in charge of the section for first evangelisation and the new particular churches, and Fisichella was responsible for the first section. Continue reading

In what some are calling a very significant move, the 62-year-old Archbishop of Manila will move to Rome to oversee the work of the Catholic Church in Asia, Oceania, New Zealand and most dioceses in Africa. These areas cover around one-third of the world's Catholic dioceses.

Tagle replaces Italian Cardinal Fernando Filoni, 73, who as been re-assigned to be Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

Filoni replaces Cardinal Edwin O'Brien, 80, who has reached the retirement age.

Tagle's appointment is seen as furthering Francis' desire for a missionary church. It is also seen as a further expression of his outreach to Asia.

Historically the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples is usually referred to by its historic name, Propaganda Fide, which is one of the largest curial departments, with a size and scope exceeding most others.

And, it is likely to get larger.

Praedicate Evangelium, the new curial constitution, not yet promulgated, is expected to place even further emphasis on evangelisation as the structural priority of the Church's mission.

The expectation is Propaganda Fide will merge with the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization into a single department.

Seen as an impressive communicator, Tagle hosted hour-long television programmes in the Philippines, sharing scriptural insights and answering viewer's questions on the Bible and faith.

Then beginning in 2007, Tagle hosted a talk show "Light Talk," for which he often invited professionals and young people to discuss current issues.

John Paul II appointed Tagle as bishop of Imus in 2002 and in 2011 Benedict XVI made him Archbishop of Manila. One year later Benedict created him a Cardinal.

Tagle has been on three successive synods of bishops and was elected to the council, generally a sign of respect and esteem by his peers.

Since May 2015, Tagle has been president of Caritas Internationalis.

He is known to share the synodal vision of a missionary church promoted by Pope Francis and like Francis, his concern for the disadvantaged is reflected in his lifestyle.

By moving him to the Vatican, Francis gives Tagle the chance to gain experience at the heart of the Church's central administration.

Sources

• Reuters
• America
• CNA
• Image:

It was nothing new, said Rowena Ranola, 58, who works with the archdiocese's Persons with Disability Ministry.

It was Ranola's fifth time donating blood at what has become an annual drive to celebrate the cardinal's birthday.

"It's good to donate blood," she said. "Aside from being able to help people, it's good for the body as well," said Ranola who encouraged her children and other people to do the same.

The donated blood will be given to the Philippine Red Cross.

"It's really the poor who will benefit from this," said director of the archdiocese's Human Resource Department, Fr Sanny de Claro.

Father Roy Bellen of the archdiocese's Office of Communications said Tagle prefers activities that will benefit others instead of holding a party for his birthday.

"This is a good concrete gift because it will not be for just one day but really help prolong other people's lives," said the priest.

Source

• UCANews

Speaking at the "Charity will never end" conference organized by the Vatican's Pontifical Council Cor Unum, an umbrella office to coordinate the Church's charitable works, Cardinal Antonio Tagle of the Philippines said charity should not be practiced as a way of achieving other ends, "especially proselytism or imposing, even in subtle ways, the Church's faith on others."

According to the cardinal, using charitable acts for conversions is "manipulation," but that doesn't mean that God should be completely left out of the Church's missionary work.

"The Christian truth is beautiful," Tagle said. "And beautiful things attract. So proselytism is imposing, but this good news, beautiful in itself, will attract people without imposing."

His view was echoed by Cardinal Gerhard Müller, head of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, who defined proselytism as "a manipulation of the conscience."

Referring to the ongoing migrant and refugee crisis in Europe, Müller said Christians should be charitable "without hidden intentions."

Continue reading

The 13 small groups that had been meeting last week released their reports on Friday.

The four English-speaking groups are chaired by Australian Cardinal George Pell, British Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Irish Archbishop Eamon Martin, and Canadian Cardinal Thomas Collins.

Each of the English-speaking groups expressed confusion about not knowing exactly what their work will be used for.

They are in the dark as to whether they are meant to create a document for public distribution or just to give advice to Pope Francis.

Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher wrote that "so far there's been more muddle than method".

But he added "that may in time yield another kind of focus and even fruit".

Philippines Cardinal Luis AntionioTagle said a new method of discussion was being tried at this synod, and that "definitely it has caused . . . a bit of confusion".

"But it's good to be confused once in a while," said the cardinal, laughing.

"If things are always clear, then we might not be in real life anymore."

During the first week of synod discussions, the small groups were focussing on the first of three parts of the synod's working document.

Among the English circles, the most negative take on the working document came from Cardinal Collins' group.

That group said that in the working document they "found much of the text to be flawed or inadequate, especially in its theology, clarity, trust in the power of grace, its use of Scripture and its tendency to see the world through overwhelmingly Western eyes".

The group also wrote that the synod might consider adopting a certain style of St Paul, whom they said "would often write a prologue of praise to people whose sins he would then critique".

"This was a common style in his epistles, and effective," they stated.

New Zealand's Dr John Kleinsman blogged that the "challenge going forward for all synod participants, as I see it, is to remember that what is in the working document reflects the gathered feedback of the People of God and to be faithful to that content".

Sources

• National Catholic Reporter
• Vatican Radio (English language small group reports)
• Sydney Archdiocese
• NZCBC
• Image: Vatican Radio

Fr John O'Malley said this in an opening address to a conference on Vatican II at Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

The conference was focused on the meaning and import of the council and how its vision might be carried forward

Fr O'Malley referred to the typical refrain that Vatican II was a pastoral council and therefore did not propose new doctrines of the Church.

Saying that such a perspective tries to downplay the council's decrees or call Vatican II a sort of "council-lite", the Jesuit said the 1960s event was pastoral through its doctrinal nature.

Vatican II, Fr O'Malley said, offered a new model of merging between so-called pastoral and doctrinal councils.

"Vatican II was a pastoral council by its teachings, that is, its doctrines," he said.

"In a word, Vatican II was pastoral by being doctrinal."

Former Catholic Theological Society of America president Dr Richard Gaillardetz expanded upon Fr O'Malley's conclusions by tying Vatican II's understanding of doctrine to Pope Francis.

Dr Gaillardetz, from Boston College, said Francis "has boldly returned to the foreground a broad range of conciliar teachings".

Among those, the professor said, is a "recontextualisation" of the role of doctrine in the life of the Church.

"Our first Latin American pope is not afraid to affirm the necessary place of doctrine in theC, but he . . . situates it within the pastoral life of the Church," Dr Gaillardetz said.

At the conference, Filipino Cardinal Luis Tagle called on Catholics to avoid wanting to witness to Christ "in some idealised past that they long for with nostalgia".

Rather, Catholics should embrace and live out the council's sense of openness to the modern world, he said.

"The Church is being asked to retrieve its deepest identity as a communion, but a communion that is not focused on itself," he continued.

"Not self-focused, not self-referential."

Sources

• National Catholic Reporter
• Image: Jesuits.org