Colleagues consider Quevedo a 'cardinal for peace'

Published February 22, 2014 8:31pm

(Updated 9:53 p.m.) The Philippines' newest cardinal may be expected by his colleagues in the Catholic Church to champion the cause of peace.

A report by radio dzBB's Rodil Vega Saturday evening said Cardinal Orlando Quevedo is considered a "Cardinal of Peace."

Bagong hirang na kardinal na si Orlando Quevedo, itinuturing na "Cardinal for Peace" ng mga kasamahan sa simbahan | via @Rodveg72

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) February 22, 2014

Quevedo, who serves as Cotabato Archbishop, was one of 19 Church officials elevated to the rank of cardinal on Saturday (Manila time).

According to the Vatican news portal, Quevedo is a member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and graduated in Pedagogy from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila.

"He was appointed first Bishop of Kidapawan (Philippines) when the diocese was created in November 1982, and nominated Metropolitan Archbishop of Cotabato (Philippines) by Pope John Paul II in 1998," it said.

On the other hand, Quevedo has also been known to be low-key.

In January, he surprised a cell phone technician and a prepaid mobile phone card vendor in Davao City who didn't recognize him as a future cardinal, according to an article on MindaNews.

'Sense of fear'

But Quevedo, in an interview with MindaNews' Carolyn Arguillas, said he was "not happy" being named a cardinal.

"Because there is a sense of fear. I have a sense of fear and a sense of insecurity, a feeling of inadequacy na hindi ko kaya, hindi ko kaya," he said in the interview posted Saturday.

He said he felt "(f)ear, insecurity and inadequacy because I don’t know what a Cardinal does except that it’s a higher position."

Quevedo recalled learning of his selection by Pope Francis via a text message from Manila Archbishop and now fellow Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle.

"Congratulations, Orly. Congratulations to our new Cardinal," he recalled Tagle as saying in his text message.

He said he even replied to Tagle, “You’re congratulating the wrong person on the wrong island,” but Tagle texted back: “It’s you, it’s you, it’s you, it’s you.” — JDS, GMA News

Tags: quevedo, cardinalquevedo