Manila's hopes for Cardinal Tagle: A Filipino Pope for the poor

Straits Times

07-05-2025

Filipino activist-priest Robert Reyes leading a procession in the slums of Manila to mark the start of the papal conclave on May 7. ST PHOTO: MARA CEPEDA
– In the alleyways of Sitio Militar, a poor neighbourhood in Quezon City near the Philippine capital, a church volunteer hoisted a life-sized standee of Pope Francis, leading a quiet procession.
Behind her, activist-priest Robert Reyes pushed a wooden cart painted with images of Jesus, Saint Francis of Assisi and Mother Teresa. He calls it the 'Kariton ni Kiko', a tribute to the nickname Filipinos had given the late pontiff and the makeshift pushcarts Manila's homeless use as their mobile homes.
It was part of a procession held after what Father Reyes described as a 'Mass for the Poor' held at the church on May 7. This takes place hours before cardinals over in the Vatican are set to gather inside the Sistine Chapel for the papal conclave to elect the next leader of the Catholic Church.
Thousands of kilometres away from the Vatican, in a slum in Metro Manila, this mass and procession is a prayer on wheels – a plea for a pope who walks with the people, like Pope Francis did.
'This is a symbol of a church that moves forward, a church on wheels, a church that does not stay in comfortable (halls). It is a church that goes out to people,' said Father Reyes.
In the Philippines, many hope that kind of church would soon be helmed by a pope who is one of their own: Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the former Archbishop of Manila who is now among the highest-ranking Asians in the Vatican.
'I want Tagle to be our next pope. He's close to poor people like me, just like how Pope Francis was,' said 66-year-old Nina Barobaro, a church server who once sold pineapples to scrape by.
Warm, eloquent and pastoral, Cardinal Tagle has been dubbed 'Francis-lite' for his warmth and progressive views reminiscent of Pope Francis.
In the run-up to the conclave, Cardinal Tagle has become the centre of online meme wars and real-life debates, celebrated by fans and scrutinised by critics who question whether the 67-year-old cardinal is ready for the papacy.
Father Reyes, who once studied with Cardinal Tagle at the seminary of the Ateneo de Manila University, calls him 'Chito' with familiarity and fondness. But on this day, he avoided endorsing his friend outright.
'To both local and international media here, don't ask me if I want my classmate, Cardinal Chito Tagle, to be pope,' he said in his homily , or sermon, before the procession. 'No, my answer is that I want a pope like Pope Francis… someone who is unafraid to be unpopular.'
Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle is known as the 'Asian Francis' for having what many see as the affable charm of the everyman.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
Many parishioners' yearning for a Filipino pope is less about nationalism than it is about the kind of church they want: one that is tender, inclusive, and rooted in the margins.
'The world is diverse, right? There are people of all genders, for example. That's good. We need a pope who would be inclusive to all of them,' said 15-year-old church choir member Arjie Camacho.
His choirmate Scofield Carolino, also 15, was more direct: 'Surely other Filipinos would follow Tagle's example and become closer to God.'
At the nearby Sacred Heart Parish, where Cardinal Tagle once celebrated feast day masses when he was still archbishop, flower vendor Joanna Montales remembers the crowds he drew.
'When he's presiding over the mass, his homily touches your heart. It just pierces your soul,' she said, recalling how his words helped keep her faith intact despite daily hardships.
Her co-vendor Michael Consignado nodded in agreement. 'If he becomes pope, it's like someone from our street made it,' he said. 'But more importantly, the world would get a pope who knows how we live.'
Cardinal Tagle's ideological leanings have long sparked debate. He is hailed by some as a liberal icon but is dismissed by others as not progressive enough.
'I think he's a moderate on the issues of justice, of sexual ethics. Even in the ethics of computers and AI (artificial intelligence), he would not take a very radical or progressive point of view,' Father Reyes said in a separate interview with Australia's ABC News.
Cardinal Tagle also did not directly criticise former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte's bloody drug war that left thousands dead.
'In terms of addressing controversy and addressing contentious issues, Cardinal Chito would not venture into dangerous waters,' said Father Reyes.
Still, Cardinal Tagle has remained staunch in his defence of church teachings, like opposing government efforts to widen access to contraceptives. His tone on clerical abuse echoes that of Pope Francis, though he has avoided supporting criminal charges, favouring canonical processes instead.
Many point to his gifts as a communicator and bridge-builder.
'He is able to adjust his language according to his audience,' said Mr Paterno Esmaquel II, religion reporter for Manila-based news site Rappler. 'He's a great communicator and theologian.'
Cardinal Tagle's leadership has not been without controversy. As president of Catholic humanitarian aid group Caritas Internationalis from 2015 to 2022, he faced backlash when the Vatican dismissed its entire leadership after allegations of workplace bullying, though the cardinal himself was not accused of wrongdoing. The episode, however, dented his reputation as an administrator.
Despite these issues, many in the Philippines believe a Tagle papacy would carry weight far beyond Rome.
Mr Esmaquel recalled how Pope Francis once described migrant Filipino workers as 'smugglers of the faith' – spreading Catholicism across the world as they toil far from home.
'We are now the modern-day missionaries of the Catholic Church. And yet Filipinos are still seen as second-class citizens, even in the Church ,' Mr Esmaquel said. 'Having a Filipino pope would boost the morale of Filipino Catholics around the world'.
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