Palace congratulates new cardinal Tagle

Malacañang on Sunday congratulated Manila Archbishop Antonio Luis Cardinal Tagle on his elevation to the Vatican’s elite Saturday. “We would like to extend our warmest congratulations to Cardinal Tagle on his elevation to the College of Cardinals, along with others elevated to the College,” Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said on government-run dzRB radio. When asked if the Palace expects more cordial relations with the Catholic Church, she said the administration has “always had a good relationship with the Church and any other church for that matter.”

“Kami ay laging bukas magdayalogo at makipagusap kung may pangangailangan sa issue na humaharap sa atin bilang sambayanan,” she said. On Saturday, Tagle received from Pope Benedict XVI the red hat and ring as symbols of his membership in the College of Cardinals at the consistory at the Vatican. Also formally installed as Cardinals were: - Archbishop James Harvey, Prefect of the Papal Household - Bechara Boutros Raï, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch in Lebanon - Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal, Major Archbishop of Trivandrum in India and head of the Syro-Malankara Church - Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan of Abuja, Nigeria - Archbishop Ruben Salazar Gomez of Bogotá, Colombia With his rank, Tagle is qualified to elect a pope, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines said. The CBCP said Tagle could not hold back tears when the Pope bestowed on him the red biretta and the cardinal ring. In an interview with romereports.com, Tagle said: “I cry easily, and I guess when you are before a great mystery that you know is beyond you, a calling, a grace, a mission, then, you know, you tremble, but at the same time you’re happy.” At 55, Tagle is the second youngest cardinal of the Catholic Church after Archbishop Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal of India, 53. He is the seventh Filipino cardinal following Rufino Cardinal Santos, Julio Cardinal Rosales, Jaime Cardinal Sin, Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, Jose Cardinal Sanchez and Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales. — BM, GMA News