They are doing this by sowing division and exploiting the anger of those who feel excluded, he says.

The Filipino prelate (pictured), who is the prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, aired his concerns - and some opportunities to improve matters - at the 2021 Trócaire St Patrick's College Maynooth annual Lenten lecture.

Speaking via Zoom from Rome after delivering his lecture, he turned to the topic of populist leaders 'hijacking' religion, saying:

"There is a growing sense in the world today of divisiveness, and unfortunately religion is being used to further division; sometimes even within the same religious affiliation you have divisions."

Tagle described the recent rise of populist leaders as "the return of the powerful big-boss-type of people" some of whom "hijack religion".

They know where the pockets of disgruntled people are and they present themselves as messiahs, he said. They use religion as a "convenient way" of getting followers.

"We need to study carefully why these leaders get followers; why do they become popular?"

Times of confusion such as during a pandemic could, in particular, make the exclusion of people such as the poor and migrants be more susceptible to these influences, Tagle warned.

Source

• The Tablet
• Image: La Croix Internationl

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:

The Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples promotes evangelisation and missionary cooperation around the globe and has special responsibility for bishops, dioceses and developing jurisdictions in Africa, the Far East and parts of the Pacific and Latin America.

The money collected from properties owned by the congregation is used to support the church's missionary initiatives around the world.

In its statement, the congregation also denied reports that it owned a spa and a prominent hotel in Rome, saying the reports were "unacceptable" and "untrue."

"All the properties belonging to the congregation were donated for the missions and are rented out at the market price, although there are exceptions for people living in situations of poverty," the statement said.

The properties, the statement continued, are rented out "in compliance with Italian law" and in 2014 the congregation paid more than 2.1 million euros in property taxes.

Income from the rents, it said, is used to "maintain the congregation, the Pontifical Urbaniana University, the Pontifical Urban College, missionary institutions and young churches in mission territories."

Regarding the continuing reform of the Roman Curia and efforts to revise and standardise Vatican budgeting and financial reporting procedures, the congregation said it fully adheres to Pope Francis' "line of thought" and will continue to hand over financial and budgetary reports to the Vatican Secretariat for the Economy.

Source

• catholicnews.com
• Image: photos.wikimapia.org