The Man who could be Pope, Part 1

Pope Francis is 87 years old and is suffering from lack of mobility because of a lingering knee problem and other medical conditions. Riding a wheelchair or using a cane to walk has become a common scene with him. It was rumored a few times that he was about to resign but the pope personally debunked the story. At his age and overall health, though, Pope Francis’s papacy could end anytime.

While the media is no longer hot on the pope’s resignation trail, the list of papabili from leading cardinals is updated constantly as more names appear in the zone or those who have reached 80 years old are flagged and can no longer join future conclaves. Still, he is going through life like there is no tomorrow, making the reforms he feels are needed in the Catholic Church.

It is highly conceivable that he wants a successor who would continue his reformist legacy. With nine consistories he presided during his papacy handing out red hats, the count is now favorable to his desired outcome with 142 cardinals, 92 of them or 92% of the 136 will constitute voting members of the College of Cardinals. The table is set for the next pope to be anointed by Pope Francis.

One papabile who was in the 2013 list and in the current list is the diminutive Filipino Cardinal Luis Gokim Tagle. He currently holds multiple important clerical titles as a member of the Roman Curia but the most important one, I believe, is the Pro-prefect for the Section of Evangelization of the Dicastery for Evangelization. He “work” directly under the Supreme Pontiff, Pope Francis being the Prefect.

Tagle’s rise from obscurity began long before the world had heard of his name. His participation in earlier Synods made him an “expert” on the Synod on Asia, and again as a delegate to the Synod on the Eucharist. It was, however, in 2008 when his path intersected with the future pope from Argentina. As told by Tagle himself in one of his speaking engagements that he was invited to speak, he narrated the encounter that occurred at the 2008 International Eucharistic Congress in Quebec, Canada.

According to the introduction to his book, “I have Learned from the Least: My Life My Hopes,” a cardinal approached him at the conclusion of his lecture during the aforementioned International Eucharistic Congress. The cardinal was no other than the archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Maria Bergoglio who introduced himself and thanked Tagle for his speech. “Your Excellency,” he said, “May I ask you to give me the text?” And Tagle graciously did. The future pope was clearly impressed and started writing letters to him, but Tagle ignored because he was a busy man.

Pope Benedict made him Bishop of Manila in 2011 and gave him the red hat (cardinal-priest) the next year. His rising star status was cemented when Pope Francis visited Manila in 2015. He was named a delegate to the 2018 Synod of Bishops on Young People.

Shortly thereafter, he was made president of Caritas International. Francis’ multiple promotion of Tagle gave the impression that the Filipino prelate was the early favorite to replace the pope in case of early retirement. Tagle, being dubbed as “Asia’s Pope Francis,” certainly enjoyed such top billing as the pope’s ‘alter-ego’. Well, perhaps the mutual admiration goes back to that 2008 lecture that Tagle talked about. Here’s the quote from Tagle that impressed many:

“It is sad that those who worship idols sacrifice other people while preserving themselves and their interests. How many factory workers are being denied the right wages for the god of profit? How many women are being sacrificed to the god of domination? How many children are being sacrificed to the god of lust? How many trees, rivers, hills are being sacrificed to the god of ‘progress’? How many poor people are being sacrificed to the god of greed? How many defenseless people are being sacrificed to the god of national security?”

Pope Francis published encyclicals and exhortations that bears resemblance to Tagle’s themes: Lumen Fidei (The Light of Faith), Laudato Si (On Care of our Common Home), Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love), and Misericordia et misera (Mercy and Peace). Like minded men of God who lived parallel lives of shunning the perks of a bishop. Both are popular among young people.

Tagle’s standing during the 2013 conclave when Pope Francis was picked, was unimpressive receiving only one vote. Cardinals Sean Patrick O’Malley and Marc Quellet, both from North America, were the top getters at that conclave but both have now reached the disqualifying age at 80. One truism in the handicapping business for predicting the next pope, is that the Catholic Church world is not ready for an American, African, or Asian pope.

Tagle’s promotion to cardinal-bishop in 2020, however, made him a definite front-runner successor, qualified him to enter the conclave, and made him one of the seven highest ranked cardinals in the College of Cardinals. More senior but still the youngest at 62. Furthermore, Pope Francis made him his emissary, a special envoy to the recently concluded National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. Before that, he was Francis’ special envoy to the Asian Bishop Conference.

Tagle clearly enjoys the full confidence of the pope. Imagine the possibilities! But it will not be smooth sailing. When then Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte accused Tagle in 2020 of channeling church money to the president’s political enemies, Pope Francis preemptively transferred him to Rome and made him cardinal bishop.

In 2022, Tagle was tarred with accusations of mismanagement and poor leadership as president of Caritas International. Although Tagle’s role in the day-to-day operation is remote and ministerial, the complaints regarding the Secretary General’s poor management style created a false narrative on the good cardinal. The Vatican investigation, however, proved the accusations wrong but found lapses in addressing issues brought before it.

Tagle took all these with humility and was even tasked by the pope to read the papal decree relieving all the officers of the organization. “The decree is a call to walk humbly with God,” read Tagle, and acknowledged the shortcomings. When seen in totality, this was clearly a hit job on Tagle by people who felt threatened by Tagle’s closeness to the pope and the prospect of papal ascendancy.

The pope’s quick action, albeit unprecedented, buried the matter 6-feet under. It was clearly an acknowledgement that Tagle as head of Caritas International was a bad idea and people with motives saw Tagle’s weakness of being naïve and too trusting. Such close association and trust, some critics say, could be Tagle’s Achilles heel. The question now is, can this very intelligent cardinal with a doctorate in Sacred Theology summa com laude, still be the next pope? (To be continued)