A Manila lawmaker on Monday wished that Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle would be elected the next Pope should the exalted post becomes vacant. Manila Rep. Joel Chua in a statement noted that Pope Francis has been seen as possibly signaling his retirement the same way his predecessor, now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, did.
Chua said that Tagle is from Cavite and rose to become Archbishop of Manila and Cardinal Bishop at the Vatican.
“A preacher, evangelist, and social justice advocate of the highest order he is. He championed the causes and welfare of the urban poor in Manila and in Cavite.”
Chua said Tagle “has proven to be a tireless pastor of the Catholic Church and has displayed his diplomatic skills in interreligious dialogue.”
If elected pope, Tagle would be the first Filipino and first Asian to rise to the highest position in Christendom. Cardinal Tagle is viewed as a progressive by some, coming from the developing world.
“Overseas Filipinos in Italy, throughout Europe, and North America have been boosting church attendance in their host cities and towns for decades. Filipino migrants have resuscitated the Catholic dioceses worldwide,” Chua said.
Cardinal Tagle represents the best of what Filipinos and the Philippines offer to the Catholic Church and to the world, he added.