Outgoing papal nuncio asks Filipino faithful to give Tagle to ‘Universal Church’
by Leslie Ann AquinoOutgoing Papal Nuncio Archbishop Gabriele Caccia on Monday asked Filipinos to give Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle to the Universal Church with open arms.
“What I like about the Filipino people is that you are always smiling even if you are suffering in your heart. The cardinal was smiling during his homily, but I know that his heart is broken,” Caccia told the faithful who attended the Mass at the Manila Cathedral for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
“The cardinal said yes. We should say yes because God knows better what is good,” he added.
According to Caccia, the people should send the cardinal as their best gift to the Universal Church.
“The best gift we have we give to the universal church. We give with open arms even if the heart is suffering. We give with joy,” he said,
“I would like that we as a Church give the cardinal to the bigger church. He is in position to take care…of the evangelization of people,” added Caccia.
Before he ended his speech, he asked those present to pray and bless the cardinal.
“Bless the cardinal and we pray for him and for his mission to the Universal Church,” Caccia said.
A very emotional Tagle then thanked the people for their prayers.
“Thank you. I will rely on your prayers,” he said.
His Eminence also took the opportunity to thank the nuncio who will soon leave the country as he was recently appointed as new Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations.
“I know our dear nuncio’s heart is also quite broken. But we want to thank him and wish him all the best and God’s blessings on his new mission as well,” said Tagle.
The Vatican announced the appointment of Tagle as the new Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Archdiocese of Manila has yet to issue a statement on the appointment of the cardinal.
Father Reginald Malicdem, the private secretary of the Archbishop of Manila, said they will wait first for the instruction from the Vatican before issuing a statement.
“Its best that the statement that we issue is clear. As of now, a lot of things are still unclear with the cardinal,” he said.