Cardinal Tagle can be next pope but Holy Spirit will decide —CBCP exec

An official of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Tuesday said Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle has a chance to be elected as the new pope of the Catholic Church.

“Si Cardinal Tagle, okay naman, puwede siyang manalo pero ang Espiritu Santo magdedesisyon,” CBCP director for broadcast Fr. Francis Lucas told GMA Integrated News’ Unang Balita in an interview.

(Cardinal Tagle is okay, he can win but the Holy Spirit will decide.)

Pope Francis on Easter Monday died due to stroke and irreversible heart failure at the age of 88.

With his death, cardinals below the age of 80 are set to vote for a new pope in a conclave.

According to Lucas, the cardinal electors will have a discussion and outline the characteristics of the next pope that the world needs now.

“Pagdating ng mga cardinal, magmeeting-meeting sila, mag-uusap-usap, tsika-tsika, at maaaring ilinya nila kung anu-ano sa pag-inog ng panahon ngayon ang uri ng kailangang papa,” he said.

(When the cardinals arrive, they will meet, discuss, and maybe outline what kind of pope is needed in the current climate.)

“So hindi naman kampanyahan 'yun. Usap-usap lang kasi galing sila sa iba't-bang bahagi ng daigdig. Kaya 'yun ang pag-uusapan. Pero pagpasok sa conclave, wala na 'yun. Nakakulong na sila doon. Maghihintay na lang sila ng pagboto ng bawat isang cardinal elector,” he added.

(So it’s not a campaign. It’s just discussion because they come from different parts of the world. That’s what they will talk about. But when they enter the conclave, that’s it. They’re locked up there. They’ll just wait for each cardinal elector to vote.)

Tagle is one of the contenders who might succeed Pope Francis.

Reuters reported that Tagle is often called the "Asian Francis" considering his similar commitment to social justice and if elected he would be the first pontiff from Asia.

 

 

Lucas remembers Pope Francis for his closeness to the people, bravery, and simplicity.

He recalled that Pope Francis encouraged all priests to be “shepherds with the smell of the sheep” and immerse themselves with the people they serve.

The CBCP official also admired Pope Francis for his visit in Tacloban City in Leyte in January 2015 after the devastation caused by Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in November 2013.

Lucas also appreciated the simplicity of Pope Francis who broke tradition by refusing the red shoes usually worn by popes and opting for his own black shoes. —KG, GMA Integrated News