Cardinal Tagle receives honorary doctorate degree from Fordham

Over 300 people, most of them Filipino-Americans, trooped to Fordham University in New York last March 28 to witness the conferral of an honorary doctorate degree to Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle.

Tagle received the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa during a ceremony held at the Keating First Auditorium of Fordham’s Rose Hill Campus in the Bronx, according to a news release from the Department of Foreign Affairs.

In the citation given to Cardinal Tagle, Fordham, a Jesuit university, described him as a “man who has captured hearts and raised hopes around the world with his warmth, his intellect, his stirring liturgies, and his overriding concern for the poor and downtrodden.”

Tagle was honored for “combining strong convictions with a moderate tone and an emphasis on dialogue rather than pronouncements” and “for his moral leadership, advocacy for the poor, and his many efforts on behalf of the Catholic Church.”

The 32nd Cardinal of Manila was only the fifth man of the church who was given the distinct honor by Fordham since its founding in 1841. Fordham became the first US university to bestow a doctorate degree to him.

In his remarks, Cardinal Tagle thanked Fordham and stated that the honorary degree was more than just about him, but about the Filipino people, especially the victims of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) who have inspired people worldwide with their relentless hope and resilience.

He said he was accepting the degree on their behalf.

Cardinal Tagle then gave a discourse about “Migrants and Refugees,” discussing the situations of migrants and refugees in several countries, including the Philippines.

He said the Catholic Church affirmed at the Second Vatican’s Council the right of a person to migrate or to remain in his home country if so desired, and the importance for people to be aware of their freedom to migrate as well as not to be forced to do so.

The Philippine government was represented in the ceremony by Ambassador Jose Cuisia, Jr., Ambassador Libran Cabactulan, and Consul General Mario De Leon, Jr. — KBK, GMA News