Manila: As global attention turns to who may succeed the late Pope Francis, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, a native of this bustling Philippine city, stands among the top contenders. Yet, not all his supporters are hoping he ascends to the papacy.
Sister Marilena Narvaez, 83, a Catholic nun who has known Tagle since his childhood, admits she does not pray for his election. “I’m afraid of the politics in Rome,” she told AFP, explaining her reluctance. “I told him that I don’t pray that he becomes pope.”
Despite her cautious stance, the people of Imus — where Tagle served for nearly two decades as priest and bishop — largely express pride and support for the cardinal’s potential rise.
Tagle, 67, is second only to Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin in the odds listed by British bookmaker William Hill. The cardinal’s legacy in his hometown is marked by deep compassion, particularly toward the poor and marginalized.
“He is not a saint, but his tears fall easily for the poor,” said Maria Minda Ortiz, 64, a candle seller who credits Tagle with helping reform her once-violent husband before his death.
Corazon Reno, 72, another vendor at the Imus cathedral courtyard, said, “We’re praying for it to happen.” She, like many others in the community, sees Tagle as a symbol of hope and humility.
Anna Fernandez, a polio survivor, remembers a moving encounter with Tagle when she was just eight years old. During Holy Week in 1995, he washed and kissed her atrophied leg as part of a reenactment of Christ washing his disciples’ feet. “I offered my right leg since it was the normal one. But he said, ‘Anna, give me the left one, the one with a defect.’”
Tagle’s background reveals both privilege and service. He grew up in a three-story home near the cathedral and attended elite institutions like St. Andrew’s School in Manila. A plaque honoring a relative who fought Spanish colonizers underscores the family’s historical roots.
As archbishop of Manila from 2011 to 2019, Tagle gained a reputation as a progressive voice. He openly criticized President Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal drug war and championed social justice causes. Still, he has remained aligned with traditional Catholic teachings on abortion and divorce.
Known affectionately as “Chito,” Tagle is also active on social media, regularly addressing his 640,000 followers on Facebook.
In 2019, Tagle spoke out at a Vatican summit on clergy sexual abuse, calling on bishops to act more decisively. But last week, watchdog group BishopAccountability.org named him as one of two cardinals it believes cannot be relied on to protect children — a claim that the country’s bishops swiftly refuted in his defense.
Francisco Abella Jr., a lay minister from Imus, said Tagle had told parish workers earlier this year that he does not expect to be chosen pope. “If he becomes the chosen one, it would be to our glory as Filipinos, but there are many contenders,” Abella said.
Sister Narvaez recalled another defining moment from Tagle’s youth: a spelling bee they prepared for together. “He practically memorized the entire Webster’s dictionary,” she said. They lost by just one word — chartreuse.
“He wasn’t embittered by the experience,” she said. “He did his best and that’s all that counted.”
Whether or not Cardinal Tagle is chosen to lead the Catholic Church, those who know him best believe he will face the moment with grace — just as he always has.
[Story Credit AFP, Edit by Human Online]
